


Spiritual Spring

by rarepairqueen



Series: The Trans-Atlantic haunting [3]
Category: Ghost Adventures RPF
Genre: Disturbing Themes, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, possible underage relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2013-12-12
Packaged: 2017-12-10 19:44:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 88,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/789458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rarepairqueen/pseuds/rarepairqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A simple vacation in Vegas over the Spring break turns into something much more complicated. Relationships are tested, new things discovered and unforgettable experiences occur for everyone involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I missed you

**Author's Note:**

> 3rd installment which got very delayed at the time of uploading but that's not important now!
> 
> Hopefully I accurately tagged this with the relevant stuff - sorry if it's not but I have a busy life and I don't have time to read the entire series again for two or three "minor details".
> 
> *Disclaimer - whilst I don't say that I "regret" some author decisions I made, I do acknowledge that some details in parts of this series can unsettle or offend readers so for that I apologise and hope that you continue to enjoy this series*

**I missed you**

“Come on Jay the taxi’s going to be here any minute now!” I complained as I ran up the stairs to my room. “I don’t have time for you to be hiding my clothes!”

“ _But it’s funny..._ ” he replied.

“JAY!”

“ _Okay, it’s in the drawer with that dress you’re so fond of. I put it there to stop Ringo accidentally trekking mud all over it._ ”

I scurried over to my chest of drawers and pulled out the dress Nick had given me for Christmas along with my ‘ _big steppin_ ’ hoodie from Aaron, I tugged the hoodie over my head which probably wasn’t the best idea in the stupidly warm April we were experiencing in England, and carefully folded the dress into my suitcase.

“Where’s Kate?” I asked, zipping the case shut and carrying it downstairs to my front door. “She’s meant to be looking after Ringo with Amelia.”

“ _Somewhere. I don’t know_.”

I shrugged and called Ringo from the kitchen, he came bounding over to me as I crouched down to his level, he licked my face and pawed at my jeans. He knew exactly where I was going and that I wouldn’t be back for a while. The doorbell sounded and I opened the door and got pulled into a hug by Kate.

“Can’t...breathe...” I uttered. “Please...let go...”

“Sorry, but I don’t know how long you’re going for, heck even you don’t know.” She replied, ruffling Ringo’s fur. “So what are you actually doing whilst you’re away this time?”

“I don’t know. I think it’s just a holiday, or at least that’s the impression I got from Zak.” I murmured as I passed Kate a gym bag with Ringo’s supplies in. “I don’t think he intends to take me anywhere but said to be prepared anyway just in case.”

She nodded and reached for Ringo’s leash on the hook, “Well have fun, be careful and don’t bring anymore ‘friends’ home.”

“ _Was that a hint?_ ” Jay remarked quietly.

“Besides, I don’t want any 3am phone calls about nightmares.”

“Oh it’ll be fine. I have Zak and the guys.” I said. She raised an eyebrow at me before clipping Ringo’s leash on him.

“Say bye then Ringo. You’re coming to stay with me for a while.”

“Oh he knows.” I remarked as I crouched down again to hug my not-so-little dog. Ringo had grown a lot since the summer, he was now just under two years old and certainly looked it, he still had the energy of a puppy though which proved interesting when I had to take him for walks. He licked my face and whined slightly, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. “Go on then, get him out of here, I have a plane to catch.”

My life had changed in some ways a lot and in some ways a little; I get stopped on the street sometimes by fans and asked for autographs which was a little strange at first, I started college where a few people kind of recognised me but most of my friends were oblivious to my exploration of creepy buildings and never-ending nightmares. Although Jay certainly did a good job of weirding a few of my friends out by speaking a little too loudly and causing them to think they were crazy.  
As for the nightmares; we weren’t sure what was going on, Jay couldn’t really ascertain whether it was the thing from Leap Castle still attached to me or whether it was simply me being away from Zak’s comforting presence as both were likely and both had been causes of them during the first few weeks after the guys went home. The nightmares had been both tame and absolutely terrifying, some had simply been a few distorted images of blood, guts and gore but others had been what seemed like traumatic experiences that someone has been through; watching a house burn down, people being murdered, even being stabbed myself. I had woken up on several occasions in the middle of the night covered in sweat and panting heavily, hitting speed dial on my phone to get through to Zak or Nick who would talk to me until I fell back asleep. This sleep deprivation hadn’t escaped the notice of my lecturers who had pulled me into their offices several times to address my fatigue which would render me unable to do anything physically or mentally demanding.

I had been to several churches to try and get help but they simply dismissed me as being attention seeking or if they did do anything it would be ineffective either due to Jay’s presence or due to the thing’s power. I told Zak this and he said he’d ask Bishop Long for some advice but couldn’t make any promises, he told me frequently that he wished he hadn’t let me go alone in Leap Castle and that it was all his fault. I repeatedly told him that this wasn’t the case and that he shouldn’t blame himself, this took up many hours on Skype in the late hours of night and early hours of the morning.  

“ _Oi, taxi’s here_.” Jay poked me, his finger cold on my tanned skin.

“Great.” I replied, hauling my case out my front door and locking it behind me. “To America we go then.”

 

**~***~**   
**(Zak’s P.O.V)**

I was nervous. I wanted to see her so badly that the agonising wait as I watched the display boards update me on her flight’s condition seemed longer than usual. I was thankful that I was here alone, I don’t think that having the others with me would’ve been helpful for my nerves. As the screen refreshed I saw that her flight had landed and was taxiing towards the gate, she still had to clear immigration yet though so it would probably be another half an hour before I caught a glimpse of her. My phone vibrated in my pocket, I pulled it out and read the text;

“ _Luna landed yet? – Nick._ ”

“ _Just now, she’ll be through in a while._ ” I text back. The screen refreshed, it now declared that her flight was now unloading. I had missed her so much, even if we had spent Christmas together only four months ago, my fingers tangled in the silver chain of my dogtags which I wore everywhere, a small token of her love for me wherever I went. The activity in my own home seemed to have died a little, the dungeon spirits were a little quieter and the creepy voice I heard when I slept hadn’t been heard in a while. I somewhat hoped that Luna’s affection was the reason behind this.

Nick and the others had missed her too, understandably, but not nearly as much as I had. They put up with me moping around our office, taking nearly two hours each afternoon off to talk with her, even the investigations had been a strain for me. Billy ended up pulling me out of one of the locations because I simply wasn’t alert enough for safety’s sake and I spent the rest of the time in the van.

“ _She through yet?_ ” another text from Nick.

“ _No. I’ll let you know when she is dude._ ” I hastily tapped back, my eyes studying the board again for any update.

I sighed. This was going to be just a relaxation trip, no investigations were planned and there was no evidence to reanalyse, my plans were just for Luna and I to hang out with the guys and have fun, I had to introduce her to someone too…

“ _Yeah right, you’ll be too busy kissing her dude. :P_ ”

I shoved my phone back into my pocket without replying, what did Nick expect? Luna’s my _girlfriend_ , of course I’d put seeing her for the first time in four months ahead of texting him to let him know she’s landed. The flight disappeared off the board so I made my way towards the arrivals lounge to scout out a spot so I could easily see her come down the ramp.

A huge crowd of people rushed down the ramp, reuniting with various family members and friends with loud voices. It made my heart ache more for some reason as my grip on the thin sheets of metal hung around my neck tightened. As the last few people trickled through the doors I began to feel a little nervous, where was she? Had she been stopped at immigration? Had something happened to her luggage?

Several different scenarios were running through my head when the doors opened to reveal her small body carrying a rather large bag in comparison with such ease, her long brown hair was bleached blonde at the ends where it was blue the last time I saw her. She looked up, her eyes canvasing the faces of the people gathered in the lounge, when she saw me her eyes lit up and she ran towards me. I left my post underneath the clock and moved to meet her halfway, she ran full pelt into my arms laughing and crying at the same time, I hugged her close and kissed her temple, my heart going a million miles a minute.

“Zak…I missed you so much…” she murmured.

“I missed you too sweetheart. It’s been hell without you.” I replied, pushing her back slightly so I could look into her gorgeous eyes that I loved so much. “I love you.”

“I love you too Zak.” She smiled and pressed her lips to mine gently, hardly having to stretch upwards now, my…she had grown.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, causing me to pull backwards, she smiled knowingly and dug my phone out without saying anything. She laughed as she read the text from Nick before quickly replying and shoving the small device back into my pocket.

“So, where are we headed then Zak?” she asked, her eyes glittering. I swallowed, unsure what she was getting at, before taking her hand with one of mine and her bag in my other.

“Back to mine naturally.” I replied, “The guys will be arriving tomorrow afternoon sometime so we have quite a few hours to…do stuff…if you’re up for it.”

She giggled and squeezed my hand, feeling the ring I bought her for Christmas dig into my hand. “I wouldn’t dream of declining that offer.”

 

**~***~**   
**(Luna’s P.O.V)**

Zak’s house wasn’t that far from the airport, which was a blessing in more ways than one, as we pulled up to his driveway and he gutted the engine to his car I heard a small bark from inside the house.

“…was that…a dog?” I asked, looking at him quizzically

“Yep. I got a rescue dog from the local shelter I volunteer at, come on she loves people.” He said with a smile as he gestured for me to follow him out of the car. He opened the door and a white dog came bounding out of the house to greet him, she had a definitive black smudge over one of her eyes and little black spots around her face. “Come here Luna, her name’s Gracie.”

I approached the energetic dog, she paused and looked at me for a few moments before sniffing my legs and nudging me. I crouched down and lightly stroked her head, she sniffed my hand before making a satisfied yelp and disappearing inside the house again.

“She likes you.” Zak declared as he retrieved my bag from the car. “Come on sweetheart.”

I let him usher me into the hallway. He had been doing some renovation work since I was last here; I could smell the sawdust in the air and see various tools lying around on the staircase. “You’ve been busy.” I observed. “Any particular reason why?”

He shrugged. “Just felt like making the best of the space up there, I’m currently sleeping in the guest room until it’s done up there…you don’t mind do you?”

“Well unless you’re banishing me to the couch, no.” I smiled, making my way towards the lounge which ultimately led to the dungeon. I found Gracie stretched out on the floor of the lounge by the couch, she looked at me with wide eyes for a few moments before returning to sunbathing in the light streaming through the window. I wasn’t sure how to react to this, Ringo never stared at me like that.

“You alright?” Zak asked, coming up behind me.

“Yeah…” I replied, leaning into his hold. “You got anything planned for us then?”

“Thought you’d never ask…” he murmured, hugging me tightly, “I mean, I don’t want to make you feel like all we ever do is…physical stuff…but…”

I turned around and brought his lips to mine, he really did talk too much sometimes. “It’s okay Zak. I find physical displays more…interesting…but don’t get me wrong – I do like goofing off just as much as you do remember.”

He smiled and picked me up. “Would you care to grace my dungeon with your presence then m’lady?” he asked

I giggled and nodded, he carried me through to the dungeon, shoving the door open with his broad shoulder. The air was cold which was a nice change to the humid Vegas heat beating down outside, I didn’t have time to take in the gothic décor I loved so much as before I knew it Zak was sat in his throne with me straddling his lap, his lips grazing my collar bone.

“First a cabin now a dungeon…where next I wonder…” I giggled as he pulled me close to him.

“It’s your choice…” he growled softly, taking my lips in his.

I ran my fingers through his hair, sighing into his mouth as his hands found their way to the base of my shirt. A light breeze hit the skin that was exposed when he lifted it slightly, I lightly grazed his lip with my teeth as I gasped, he laughed into the kiss as his warm hand brushed over my waist.

“Zak…” I whispered.

“mmm?” he hummed., his breath tickling my neck.

“You’re the best.”

“The best what?” he asked

“Just the best.” I giggled. He looked at me a little puzzled for a few moments before laughing.

“And I thought I was the one who made cryptic remarks.”

 

**~***~**

We spent a little while longer in the dungeon trading kisses and just enjoying each other’s company, I began to feel tired as my jetlag caught up with me. Zak carried me back into the lounge and settled me down on the couch, his hand lingering on my cheek, I covered his hand with mine and sighed as I let my eyes slip shut.

I woke up with Gracie huddled against me, I stroked her head gently, reminding myself of Ringo’s soft fur back home in England.

“Sleep well?” Zak asked quietly when he came to check on me and found that I was awake.

“Yeah…what time is it?”

“About five-ish.” He replied. “Hungry?”

“God yeah…got any of that amazing soup?” I replied, easing myself if gently so to not disturb Gracie.

He smiled and winked at me before disappearing into the kitchen, he came back a few minutes later with a bowl on a tray. “I had a feeling you’d ask.” He said, placing the tray on the coffee table

I slid off the couch and breathed in the wondrous scent of the soup, Zak made good soup. He watched me with endearing eyes as I ate in front of him, when I finished I sat back against the couch with a sigh of content.

“God you’re beautiful…” he murmured, blushing like crazy when I looked at him. “I-I mean…”

I giggled, shuffling around the coffee table into his arms. “And so are you.” I replied quietly, pressing my lips to his jawline.

He hugged me close to him, running a hand gently through my hair. I kissed his neck softly, lightly nipping and sucking the skin, he moaned quietly as I stroked his cheek and continued kissing his neck.

“…mmm…” he hummed, pulling back and cupping my face in his hands. “You’re driving me crazy baby.”

I giggled and covered his hands with my own. “What just like you drive me crazy by popping up on my tv screen repeatedly?”

He bit his lip and rested his forehead against mine. “You know if I could shorten the distance between us I would.”

“Yes I do know.”

“…let’s just enjoy the time we have together.” He smiled.

I nodded, sighing quietly as we remained on the floor, the setting sun’s rays streaming through the glass door, time seemed to stop as we just embraced each other’s presence, enjoying the feeling of finally being together and nothing keeping us apart. That was until Gracie woke up and pounced on us.

“Calm down girl!” Zak exclaimed as the excitable dog bounded between us. “You wanna go for a walk?” She barked in reply, dashing off along the hallway, her claws clicking on the lino flooring. “You coming with?”

“Yeah sure.” I smiled. Taking his hand as we got off the floor, we walked hand in hand down the street as the sun started sinking below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the sky. If this was what we’d be doing for my entire stay then I was fully content with it; nothing could be better than spending everyday with Zak.


	2. A pressing matter

**A pressing matter**

I woke up the next morning, Gracie snoozing at the foot of the bed and Zak lightly snoring next to me, his hand was thrown over his head on his pillow, his bare chest rising and falling steadily, I was wrapped firmly in his hold; pressed against his side.

He was warm in contrast to the cool spring air that was blowing in from a slightly open window, I shuffled even closer to him, feeling him moan slightly as he rolled over and pulled me into his chest, his scent was intoxicating. I pressed my lips to the warm skin, slowly making my way up to his lips, kissing him until he woke up.

“…mornin’ to you too.” He mumbled when I broke away from him. “Sleep well?”

I nodded and smiled. He stroked my cheek gently, pressing a light kiss to my nose before easing out of bed. “I’m gonna go shower, if you’re hungry there should be food in the fridge…or I can cook something…”

“I’ll be fine Zak, don’t take too long.” I replied.

“Okay, um Gracie’s food is in the cupboard above the microwave oven.” He called as he disappeared off to the bathroom. I found some clean clothes to wear; a simple grey shirt and jeans, and got dressed. Gracie woke up with a yawn and stared at me whilst I brushed my hair, she continued staring at me until I walked to the door when she jumped off the bed and followed me to the small kitchen. I fed her and inspected the contents of Zak’s fridge; leftover pizza, some kind of salad, something wrapped up in tin foil which I didn’t want to look at, a few eggs, half a litre of milk and some cheese lay abandoned inside the chilled container.

“…right…I guess it’s eggs then for breakfast.” I sighed.

“ _You cooking eggs? This should be entertaining._ ” Jay remarked. Gracie barked slightly before going back to her food.

“Shut it Jay, I won’t set anything on fire this time.” I muttered, setting a pan on the stove. “And that was all Kate’s fault for distracting me.”

“ _Excuses excuses…._ ” He laughed.

I dismissed his remark and cracked two eggs into the sizzling pan, I could hear Zak in the shower, he was singing again, I fought back a laugh as his husky voice carried through the open-plan house. Gracie padded over to my feet and sat staring at me, something about the way she kept staring at me made me nervous. I tried to ignore her as I fetched a plate from a cupboard and laid it aside the stove, nudging the eggs slightly as they crackled in front of me.

I didn’t realise Zak had finished his shower until his damp arms wrapped around my torso, his moist face brushing against mine as he peered at the stove.

“Was that all you could find?” he asked, pressing a kiss to my temple.

“Yeah, you need to get some more food.” I replied, easing the eggs out of the pan and onto the plate. I turned around to find that he was only wearing a loose towel tied around his waist, it was difficult to not think of what was hidden behind the blue material.

“Something wrong darling?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Oh he knew alright.

“…no.” I replied slowly, willing myself to sit on one of the stools at the island counters and start eating.

“If you say so.” He murmured, walking behind me and caressing my back as he left the kitchen.

“Shut up Jay.” I muttered into my plate as I heard him sniggering.

“ _You’re such a girl_.”

“Really Jay? I would never have guessed that.” I sarcastically threw back at him.

Gracie sat at the foot of my stool, gazing up at me, I stopped eating and slid off the seat, crouching on the floor so I was eye-level with her.

“What’s up?” I asked.

She licked her muzzle and whined slightly, nuzzling my hands which were clasped over my knees. I complied and stroked her head, she licked my fingers before walking off without a sound. Something still wasn’t right in my mind.

 

**~***~**   
  


Zak and I were relaxing in the lounge; his arms wrapped around my now slightly damp shirt as he nuzzled my neck. The glass door was open and a light breeze wafted through every now and then, bringing with it the scent of freshly cut grass and morning dew.

“What’s the plan for today then?” I asked quietly.

“Nick and the others are coming ‘round.” He replied. “They’ve missed you too ya’know.” 

I nodded and kissed his jawline, he moved so I was kissing his lips. I sighed slightly into his mouth and pressed against him slightly. He smoothed my back as I lay in his hold, Gracie nudged us and decided she wanted to be part of the moment, I shuffled over as she clambered up onto the couch with us, seeming to sigh as she rested her head against my side.

“She’s adorable.” I whispered.

“Sure is. She’s good at picking up paranormal activity too.”

“…oh…” I uttered, things were making sense now, why she stared at me so much; she could sense Jay’s presence.

“What?” Zak asked, stroking my cheek, “something wrong?”

“No…she’s just been staring at me a lot, I guess she’s picked up on Jay’s presence.” I replied.

Zak nodded, scratching Gracie’s ear as she looked at us with wide eyes. “Seems reasonable.”

I sighed and let my eyes slip shut, time seemed to stand still as I lay there in the arms of the person I loved with all of my heart, the light breeze stirring the air around us as he hummed whilst tangling his fingers gently in my hair. Everything was perfect.

The doorbell sounded, dragging me from my thoughts, Gracie leapt off the coach and ran to the door. I looked to Zak who simply laughed.

“Don’t worry, they have keys.” He said, “Although you might want to get off me.”  

I smiled and eased myself off of him, I heard familiar voices in the hallway before Gracie came scampering back into the room yipping excitedly. Sure enough a few seconds later Nick, Aaron and Billy walked in, all smiles and laughter.

“Hey Luna!” Nick called excitedly. I threw myself into his arms, laughing as he picked me up and swung me around. When he put me down I hugged Billy and then Aaron before we all sat down around the lounge.

“Oh, hey Zak.” Billy remarked, we all cracked up in laughter as Zak sighed and stuck his middle finger up to Billy.

“Nice to know I’m loved.” Zak sighed dramatically.

“You are loved silly.” I replied, nuzzling his neck slightly. “Don’t complain.”

He made a small whimper of discontent as I playfully slapped his cheek and edged away from him, turning my attention back to the others. Nick raised his eyebrows as that familiar grin settled on his face and the other two sniggered slightly.

“So how have you guys been?” I asked, ignoring Zak’s slight whimper when I brushed his hand away from my thigh.

“Good, we’ve been good, did a few more investigations, they were awesome.” Aaron replied, stroking Gracie’s head as she sat between him and Billy on the other couch.

“Cool, anything unrelated to the show going on?”

“Not really.” Billy sighed. “It’s a bit of a relaxed time until the fall when we’re back to investigating.”

“Although, we _do_ need to decide if we’re doing a special episode or not.” Nick added. “Which is partly why we came ‘round today.”

Zak seemed to snap out of whatever daydream he was in. “Huh? Special?”

“Yeah, you know, we sit around and talk about certain locations and how damn creepy they were.” Aaron replied.

“And how many times I get locked into a morgue or tight space.” Nick added.

“Or how much equipment goes weird halfway through an evp session.”  Billy sighed.

“Remember now Zak?” Nick asked.

“Yeah, but what could we do? We’ve done a scariest moments special, most compelling evidence, hospitals, hotels, prisons, forts, wild west…I don’t know what else we could do.” Zak sighed.

An idea started forming in my thoughts as they started to consider doing an updated scariest moments and evidence special. They’ve been to many places they said they would go back to after they had more experience; Bobby Mackey’s was evidence of this, the small idea of going back to one of those places sounded intriguing.

“Hey um…what about going back to one of the memorable places?” I suggested “Like you went back to Mackey’s, but like…somewhere else.”

“…we’re not going back to Mackey’s.” Zak muttered. “I’m not going there.”

“I agree, that place…it’s bad…” Aaron murmured, linking his fingers together and staring at the floor, Billy patted his shoulder comfortingly.

“I never said to go to Mackey’s, I was using it as an example.” I quickly said, aware of the tension which had fallen in the room. “We could go back to any of the other places.”

“I think that’s a good idea.” Nick piped up. “I like the thought of going back to one of the old mental hospitals.”

“More to the point you like the idea of being locked in a morgue.” I replied. The room felt more relaxed at my remark.

“Nick likes small and tight spaces.” Billy remarked with a snigger. Nick laughed and shook his head.

“That’s not what I was getting at…”

“Yeah but you didn’t really deny it either.” I prodded.

We spent a while throwing comments back and forth about this and that, the pressing matter of this supposed ‘special’ drifting aside as we descended into laughter. The day seemed to pass quickly as the conversation switched from one topic to another, Zak sent out for pizza as the sun started setting beneath the horizon, it was devoured fairly quickly when it arrived leaving us all satisfied and full.

“mmm…you okay?” Zak asked as he nuzzled my neck from behind me. I had cleared up the leftover pizza and shoved it into the fridge with the remains of the other,  he had caught me alone in the kitchen.

“Yeah, you?” I replied, leaning into his hold.

“Yeah I’m good.” He purred, his lips lightly pressing against the skin below my ear. “Will be much better later on…when we’re alone…”

A shiver of anticipation ran through me, he laughed slightly as he felt my body react. I turned around in his hold and pressed my lips to his gently.

“Can’t keep your hands off each other?” Billy remarked as he passed us on the way towards the bathroom.

Zak broke away from me and laughed, linking our fingers together. “Maybe he’s right, we _do_ have company.”

“You were the one who started this.” I remarked, backing away and starting to walk back to the lounge. “Of course I’m not complaining.”

 

**~***~**

 

The next few days went by in a similar fashion; I would wake up next to Zak, slip out of bed and take a shower before making breakfast. Shortly after he woke up the guys would appear on the doorstep and we’d spend the entire day goofing off and occasionally discussing the special episode until someone moved the conversation on.

However by the fifth day of this cycle we were running out of things to talk about without repeating ourselves, which was when Zak got a phone call.

“Yeah?” he murmured into his phone. “Huh? Oh yeah, yeah we are.”

I cast a glance at the others who all looked at clueless as I was feeling. Zak continued making non-descript replies to the caller;

“Yeah, really? Oh um well do we have to?”

I could tell that whatever he was being told wasn’t good, his expression was tense and fixed on the coffee table cluttered with empty Starbucks’ cups and chip packets.

“…okay…yeah, we’ll call back.” He muttered, ending the call and sighing heavily. I took his hand in mine and gave it a light squeeze.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“That was the producers...they suggested...well told me what they want for our special episode.” Zak replied. “...they want us to go back to Mackey’s.”

“No.” Nick immediately said.

“No way dude.” Aaron added.

“I know you guys don’t wanna go back...but they’re not really giving us much of a choice. They said that the viewer ratings for the Mackey episodes are far greater than any of the others...except for one...”

“Which one?” I asked.

“...Poveglia Island.” He murmured.

“…oh…” I murmured. “Well…I can understand why you wouldn’t want to go back to that place…”

“But Mackey’s is a hell of a lot darker.” Nick stated.

“Poveglia is the black hole of the paranormal.” Aaron added.

I nodded. This was certainly a problem. I knew about the horrors that Bobby Mackey’s place forced the guys to endure, I knew they would never want to return and I knew that Zak would never take me there because of it. However I also knew that they weren’t particularly over the moon about Poveglia, well Zak anyway, because of the way the investigation went last time.

“…so what are you gonna do?” I asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.

Zak shrugged, squeezing my hand slightly. I looked to the others who all seemed to be in deep thought, I sighed heavily.

“Well I guess we have to try and convince them to let us go back to Poveglia instead of Mackey’s.” Nick replied eventually.

“…I don’t really want…to take you there though.” Zak murmured, his concerned eyes looking into mine. “It’s a dark place…”

“Like Preston castle?” I pointed out. “Like Leap Castle and so many of the other places we’ve been to yet I’ve managed to escape with…uh…minor injuries?”

“You’re still having nightmares though. There’s something still attached to you and I don’t want it rousing the spirits of Poveglia into hurting you.” He replied, stroking the back of my neck where the only scar I had which remained from the incident at Preston Castle. “I know you have Jay but still…you’ve been hurt in less dangerous places and I’m just paranoid that this’ll be the last straw.”

I nodded and leaned my forehead against his. “I know. I know Zak.” I sighed. “But it’s either there or Mackey’s and I know that you swore to never take me there.”

“That’s the thing though, it wasn’t just you he swore to never take there.” Nick piped up, looking to Aaron whose gaze was fixed on Gracie’s smooth fur as she nuzzled his clasped hands. Of course I knew that Aaron’s life had been turned upside-down because of the spirits they encountered, I couldn’t imagine how hearing the news that they could be going back there was causing him to remember all the experiences that tortured him.

“…I think we should sleep on it. Leave the decision making for tomorrow.” Billy suggested. “I need to get going anyway.”

We all nodded and the guys started getting ready to leave, Aaron didn’t move from the couch though, I cast a worried glance to Zak who gestured for me to leave him alone with the normally carefree man for a while. I followed Nick and Billy as they approached the front door.

“Will…will he be alright?” I asked Nick as we saw Billy off.

“He’ll be okay. He just hasn’t spoken about it in a while, I don’t know if he’s still hearing voices or anything. He really doesn’t really like bringing it up, which is understandable.”

“…will we really have to go to Mackey’s?”

“No. Zak will demand that they let us go elsewhere, he’ll say that you aren’t ready and that we aren’t prepared to go back there yet.” Nick sighed. “but as you know, he’s reluctant to take you to Poveglia.”

“Is he just paranoid that something like last time will happen to him?” I asked bluntly.

“I dunno…why don’t you ask him?” Nick smirked. “I mean, he’ll open up to you, I can pretty much guess why he doesn’t want to go back but I’m not entirely sure.” I nodded, watching him get into his car. “Call me if you need me.”

I wasn’t sure why he had to reaffirm that I could call him but I just pushed the thought away as I waved to him leaving. When I went to walk back into the lounge I could hear Zak’s hushed tone, the same tone he uses with me after I’ve had a traumatic nightmare, something inside of me told me that I shouldn’t interrupt them, I walked into the kitchen and started washing the dishes that had been piling up from the past few days of take-out food.

“ _You know…I kinda wanna go to this Poveglia place, it sounds interesting._ ” Jay remarked, I felt him seemingly pacing behind me as he spoke. “ _I mean it sounds creepy as hell but I like the sound of it._ ”

“Jay, it’s a dark place.” I sighed.

“ _Yeah…so was Preston Castle._ ”

I rolled my eyes, feeling a cold pressure on the scar on my neck. “Yes…”

“ _I remember seeing that happen…it was weird…_ ” he whispered, his cold touch brushing over my scar.

“Think about how I felt at the time…”

“ _It seems so long ago now._ ”

“I know…”

“ _I wasn’t even aware we could communicate with you until that other spirit did this…_ ”

“…Jay, can I ask you some stuff about…being…you know…dead?” I asked, drying my hands and sitting at the island counter.

“ _…uh..okay. What do you wanna know?_ ”

“Well…how come you’re still here? Is there no like…afterlife? No eternal plain of peace?”

“ _…I don’t really know…I just kinda…died…and then…wasn’t dead…_ ”

“Okay…how do you see…this world? Like is it the same as when you were alive or is it different?”

“ _It’s the same way you see it. I don’t know why Hollywood likes making you think that everything is distorted. Sure some things are weird, I don’t get televisions and cameras, I mean what is up with that?_ ”

I giggled slightly.

“ _What? They’re weird, I mean as far as my pre-death knowledge goes; cameras were huge and expensive. Now everyone has one on their phones and it’s just weird._ ”

“You seem to speak like a person of the present day, even though you were alive in the 19th century.”

“ _I’ve picked up present day lingo from you guys._ ” He said smugly. “ _I’m not a complete idiot._ ”

“Well …” I muttered.

“ _Hey! That’s uncalled for. Anyway, what else do you want to know?_ ”

“…how come you’ve attached yourself to me?”

“ _I swear you’ve asked me this before…_ ”

“I probably have.”

“ _You’re an interesting person. I like you. I mean you approach spirits on a personal level, you don’t just demand for evidence, you want to hear the voices and stories. The others do that too but…you just have this vibe, Aaron kinda has it too, well they all do but yours is more prominent._ ”

I nodded. “So what exactly do you _do_ all day?”

He laughed “ _Other than annoying you? I just kinda inspect random objects that I’ve never seen before. Like the TV. Or the microwave oven._ ”

“Curious?”

“ _Yup, they intrigue me, sometimes I like trying to manipulate them to see what happens…_ ”

“Like when Zak found Gracie’s chew toy in the microwave?” I asked

“ _…I was curious…_ ”

I laughed, I heard the door to the lounge open and Zak emerged looking tense and tired. He saw me and flashed a weak smile before approaching me and hugging me from behind, pressing his lips to my cheek.

“How’s Aaron?” I asked quietly.

“…he’s going to stay the night here, tomorrow we’ll talk more about what we’re going to do about the special episode. For now we’re just pushing it aside…he just needed to talk about some stuff he was experiencing.” He replied.

“Okay…”

“It’ll be alright. This has happened before, just give it a few days and he’ll be back to normal.”

“I hope so…I don’t like it when I see you guys being affected by stuff you’ve experienced..” I sighed, leaning into his hold.

“I know, but it’ll all be okay.” He whispered. “Don’t worry sweetheart.” He squeezed me a little tighter before letting go “come on, let’s watch some TV.”

I nodded and let him take my hand in his as we returned to the lounge, the evening was filled with laid back comments over the night-time shows that were clearly low budget, Gracie demanding to be given attention every five moments and eventually Aaron falling asleep on the couch. Zak seemed about to drop off too, sure enough a few minutes later I could hear his light snores from behind me as I led with my back to him, his arms wrapped around my body. It seemed like one of those weird romance scenes, ideally I would’ve fallen asleep in Zak’s arms and everything would be fine. However my mind was ticking and it wouldn’t be quiet.

I was thinking about Poveglia Island, more specifically the events of the investigation there, how Zak was reluctant to go back and how he was paranoid that something bad would happen. I sighed quietly, turning the TV off and trying to bat the thoughts away. It was nearly midnight and I knew I should sleep but my mind was deciding to bring up every possible scenario for me to visualise, being isolated from the guys as a malicious spirit taunted me, one of them getting attacked, the boat not coming to fetch us in the morning and we would be stuck on the island of death for good.

Of course I knew that the last thought was a little far-fetched but that didn’t stop my paranoid mind thinking about it. Jay didn’t seem to be helping much if he was even around and not sticking random objects in the microwave again. I sighed again, I close my eyes and tried to focus on anything but Poveglia, a task that was easier said than done.


	3. The lights

**The lights**

It wasn’t particularly surprising that the decision was made to go to Poveglia rather than Mackey’s. What was surprising was just how quickly we had to get ready to leave for Venice, within hours of calling the producers back we had been told that we were flying out the next day. A mad scramble occurred to get the everything sorted and packed up, Gracie was dropped off to stay with one of Zak’s friends whilst we were gone, next thing I knew we were in our hotel in Italy.

“…I hate jetlag…” I muttered as I lay on the bed rubbing my eyes. “I just got back on track after flying to Vegas and now I’m here…”

“Aw, sorry sweetheart.” Zak replied, stroking my cheek. “But the producers wanted us here asap, you know the government here don’t like people going to the island.”

“I know….I know..” I mumbled, turning over onto my stomach, burying my face in one of the pillows.

“…if you need to sleep then Billy, Aaron and I are going to meet up with our guide. Nick’s staying in the hotel in the room across the hall if you need anything.” He said quietly, picking up one of the key cards from the bedside table, he leaned down and kissed my head, letting his hand trail down my neck as he slowly backed away towards the door. I heard the door shut quietly, leaving me alone with my jetlagged body.

A knock at the door sometime later rose me from my peaceful slumber, I dragged my groggy body to the door and opened it, sure enough Nick was stood there with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Afternoon.” He greeted me with a small wave. “Can I come in?”

I nodded slightly and opened the door wider for him. I ran a hand through my untidy hair as I made my way over to the glass door which led to a balcony overlooking the city. Other than the canals replacing the roads that other cities would have, it looked like your typical European city that’s proud of its culture; buildings standing tall in the spring sunlight, the ancient architecture a prominent feature giving each building its own personality, water glittering as gondolas glide over the surface, the idealistic Italian men ducking as they came to each bridge along their journey of the endless waterways.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Nick asked as we looked out over the white buildings basking in the sunlight like cats.

“Yeah…I can see why Kate has always wanted to visit.” I replied quietly, leaning on the warm railings. “It is quite a sight to see.”

He nodded, sighing slightly as silence fell between us, a silence only broken by the distance sound of street vendors and lapping waves against stone structures.

“…how are you feeling about this investigation?” He asked after a while. “nervous?”

“…a little. It _is_ Poveglia after all.” I replied, rubbing my eyes. I still felt tired from the flight over and didn’t really want to be awake but I was aware that it was sometime in the afternoon and I would be expected to be somewhat sociable given the fact that time wasn’t a luxury we had.

“I can see you’re tired. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” He said, turning to leave.

“No it’s fine. The others will be back soon anyway, I ought to take a shower…probably should call Kate.” I sighed.

“Oh Zak’s got something planned this evening.” Nick remarked with a small smirk. I raised an eyebrow at him quizzically, he simply laughed and put his hands up defensively. “I don’t know okay? He just said he’s got plans. I have no idea if it’s for you two exclusively or not.”

I shook my head and laughed. “I see he’s up to his old tricks again. Typical Zak.”

“But that’s why you love him right?”

I raised another eyebrow at him, I bit my lip as I smiled. “Yeah…he’s always full of surprises...he spoils me too much. I hardly give him anything in return.”

If I was going to spill my feelings to Nick then and there, which my jetlagged mind would’ve been in favour of doing, I would’ve told him a lot of things; how I felt guilty sometimes because I never gave Zak anything in return, he showed me affection but I hardly ever repaid the favour.

“He loves you, it’s only natural for him to do that.”

“…I know.” I smiled, stretching slightly. “Anyway, I’m going to take a shower so if you would be so kind as to…leave.”

He nodded and walked over to the door. “I do know this though.” He said as he reached the door. “He’ll want you dressed up.” He winked and left without another word. I rolled my eyes as I started the shower running. Sometimes I did wonder just _how truthful_ Nick is with me.

 

 

**~***~**

 

Zak finally returned from his meet up with the guide, it was around half six. I had called Kate after I got out of the shower and, as predicted, she was slightly jealous that I had managed to get to Venice for practically nothing. I was scrolling through various websites proclaiming the history of Poveglia island on my phone when he eventually came through the door.

“Hey, you over your jetlag?” He asked, sitting on the bed next to me.

“Yeah, you have fun?” I replied.

“…we nearly lost Billy but yeah, it was fun.” He stroked my cheek lightly. “You bored?”

I nodded and smiled. “Nick told me you had plans…”

“Can’t keep his mouth shut can he?” he laughed “Yeah I do…go and get dressed up and we’ll get going.” He said. “I’m going to check in with the others whilst you’re getting ready.”

I nodded again and watched him leave.

“Well Jay, have you helpfully packed any nice clothing?” I asked out loud as I slid off the bed.

“ _…maybe…check your bag…_ ” he murmured, the glee evident in his voice.

I rummaged through my small bag and sure enough my fingers found the familiar material that could only be the dress that I had gotten for Christmas from Nick. Jay laughed slightly as I held it up in the quickly fading light of the day, I dismissed him and made my way into the bathroom to slip it on. The dress clung to my body in a smooth fashion until it reached my hips where it just hung down to end above my knees.

“ _…wow…you look pretty._ ” Jay remarked when I came out of the bathroom.

“Thanks…you didn’t happen to pack any matching shoes?” I replied, studying my reflection in the full length mirror that hung on the wall. “and my hair straighteners…”

“ _Check yes Juliet._ ”

I heard something move in my bag, I reached in to find a simple pair of heels and my pink hair straighteners.

“You’re an angel Jay.”

“ _Actually I’m a spirit but hey ho._ ”

“Same thing.” I shrugged, plugging in the heated tongs as I slipped the heels on as I waited for the straighteners to heat up.

“ _Zak’s lucky…you’re really pretty…if you had been around when I was…alive…then I probably would’ve had a massive crush on you…_ ” Jay murmured.

“Oh Jay…you make me feel guilty.” I replied, brushing my knotted hair in preparation for styling.

“ _It’s true…_ ”

“…and what about now then?” I asked, picking up the tongs and starting the pain-staking process of straightening my hair.

“ _Now I see you more as a little sister…well twin sister as we’re more or less the same age._ ”

I smiled and half-nodded. “Okay…so…any idea what Zak’s plans are for tonight?”

“ _Nope. I don’t read his mind Luna…I don’t read yours either because you yell at me when I do so._ ”

He did have a point, I shrugged as I carried on straightening my hair, it took less time then I remembered, I eased my shoes on and stood in front of the mirror again; I liked how the dress looked on me, I heard Jay sigh slightly.

 A knock sounded from the door as it opened, Zak poked his head around the door, his eyes roamed over my body as his cheeks tinted red.

“…wow…that’s the dress Nick got you…it…you look amazing.” He murmured as he walked over to me, he was wearing a black long sleeved shirt, his hair was styled in the infamous ‘zak-fin’ shape. He smiled as he took my hands in his. “…you really do look amazing Luna.”

“Thank-you.” I smiled back. “So do you.” I reached under the collar of his shirt and hooked the dogtag chain out, he reclaimed my hand and kissed it lightly, his eyes watching mine.

“Ready to go then?” he asked. I nodded, he wrapped an arm around my waist and guided me out of our hotel. A small strip of pavement wrapped around the building before leading into the canals, the city was lit up with golden lights, reflections dancing on the water’s surface, the smell of cooking food wafted from all directions, the sound of laughter and music joining it; the atmosphere felt magical.

Zak led me to a waiting gondola, a tall man stood at the back holding a long pole which I assumed was the oar to steer the narrow boat. He spoke quietly to him before turning to me and gesturing to the gondola. I couldn’t hold back a giggle as he precariously stepped down onto the red velvet that lined the boat, he shot me a goofy smile back as he held out a hand for me to take. I took it softly and let him coax me down, a strong arm returning to my waist to steady me. A few moments later the gondola was quietly coasting along the peaceful canals, Zak held my hand as I gazed at the wondrous scenery.

“You like it?” he asked, bringing my hand to his lips again.

“Yes, it’s beautiful Zak…” I replied quietly, “You spoil me too much.”

He smiled “perché sei bella…”

My two years of learning Italian seemed useless now as I simply smiled at him. “Care to translate that?”

“He said it’s because you are beautiful.” Our boatman remarked with a smile.

I felt myself blush as Zak looked at me with a heated yet innocent expression, his hand resting on my thigh as the gondola glided effortlessly under lit up bridges and past busy restaurants.

“So where are we actually going?” I asked, leaning into his hold, looking up at the darkening sky.

“…it’s a surprise.” Zak replied quietly, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

“You really do spoil me too much Zak.”

“That’s because I love you.”

I kissed him lightly. “And I love you too.”

He smiled, the boatman expertly steered the gondola through the busier sections of the canal, we eventually arrived at a small line of quieter restaurants and shops, all lit up in a golden glow almost like candlelight. Zak stepped out of the boat first and extended a hand to me, I took it and let him pull me up.

“grazie signore.” He said to the boatman as he shook his hand.

“sei un uomo fortunato, lei è molto bella…” he replied with a smile.

Once we were walking down the pavement I asked Zak what he said.

“He said that I was a lucky man and that you are very beautiful.”

“When did you become an expert at Italian hmm?”

He laughed. “I’ve had some help….”

I giggled, squeezing his hand, he smiled and squeezed back. The lights of Venice danced on the surface of the canal waters as we walked past crowded restaurants, he wouldn’t give me any hints about where we were going and just kept a light hold on my waist. As we walked further away from the crowded promenades it grew quieter, the hustle and bustle of the inner city was behind us as we reached the end of the paved walkway; water stretched out in front of us, seemingly endless in the dim lighting.

“…wow…” I breathed as Zak pulled me to sit on a bench overlooking the vast landscape. “Is that Poveglia Island?” I asked, pointing to an island sitting on the horizon.

“Not quite.” He replied. “Poveglia is that way.” He pointed to the left of the island I had pointed at. “You can’t see it from here, we have to travel over to another part of the area to catch a boat there.”

“But I thought none of the boatmen sailed near it because of the history and for fear that they’ll be cursed?”

“…Miguel is sorting it.” He murmured, pressing a kiss to my neck. “But let’s not worry about the investigation for now.”

“mm?” I hummed in reply, turning to kiss his cheek. “What do you wanna do instead?”

He lightly nipped at my neck, running his tongue over the skin and sucking slightly. I fought to hold back a moan as he left my neck and kissed my lips, parting them slightly with his tongue. He moaned slightly as I ran my hands over his chest, lightly digging my fingers into the fabric that hugged his skin, his hold on my waist tightened slightly. I broke away slightly, panting and he kissed my jawline, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer to him. His hands ran up and down my back, squeezing my ass as he lifted me to sit sideways on his lap.

“…I love you so much…” he whispered, pressing another kiss to my neck. “You have no idea.”

“…then give me an idea Zak…” I sighed, cupping his face in my hand. “Tell me.”

“…I spend every waking moment thinking of you, even when I’m supposed to be focusing on something else, you’re the one thing on my mind when I go to sleep and the first when I wake up…and even when I’m having a restless night you’re still on my mind…I am literally head over heels in love with you Luna…” he murmured. “…nothing can ever change that…”

I smiled and kissed him softly. “…Zak…the number of times I think about you is uncountable, I can never go more than an hour without thinking about you…I say an hour because I am forced to focus on my college work and well, thinking about you is a little distracting to say the least…” I replied, running one of my hands through his hair.

He smiled and hugged me tightly, he didn’t reply though, only simply took my hand and kissed it. I giggled and nuzzled his neck slightly.

“It’s a pity we’re here to investigate a cursed island…” Zak whispered in my ear. “This is the perfect romantic getaway location.”

“I know…but we can make good use of the time we have…” I whispered back, my hand trailing down his chest and over his belt buckle. “…I mean, we have our own room…the others will be in a bar somewhere…we don’t have to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow…the night is young.”

He raised an eyebrow at me and shot me a devilish smirk.

“And we can…strengthen our bond before this lockdown…” I continued. “…as an added bonus.”

He kissed my neck, sucking slightly on the skin again, as he pulled me closer to him. “Okay then, your wish is my command.” He growled softly.


	4. First impressions

**First impressions**

The midmorning sun streamed through the partially closed blinds, I pressed myself closer to Zak under the thin bed sheets, he wrapped an arm around me tightly and pulled our bodies together.

“…mm…” he hummed as he brushed a lock of my hair out of my eyes. “…now I’m thankful that we don’t all share a room anymore…”

“It would’ve been an Aaron’s vlog not fit for YouTube.” I murmured, pressing my lips to his cheek.

“…I suppose we better get up…the others will be waiting for us at this rate…”

“I guess you’re right…” I sighed, I rolled away from him and faced the window, keeping the thin sheets wrapped around me. Zak chuckled lightly, I felt him get off the bed and then heard him enter the bathroom. Taking the opportunity to actually get some clothing on myself I slide out of bed and grabbed the first set of clothes my fingers could grasp; a plain lilac shirt and jeans, pulling them on quickly just as Zak came out of the bathroom wearing only his boxers.

“You were quick.” He smirked.

“I-uh…yeah.” I replied, looking at my reflection in the mirror as I brushed my hair, a small mark on my neck caught my attention, Zak simply chuckled quietly as I ran my fingers over it. “Care to explain?” I asked, turning and facing him as I pointed to it.

“…it was an added bonus.” He replied, winking at me.

“An added bonus that’ll almost certainly get picked up on by one of the others…” I remarked, turning back to the mirror “Are you trying to prove a point or something?”

He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me from behind, he was wearing jeans now but his chest was still bare, his tattoos flexing with his muscles as he held me. “…maybe..” he whispered into my ear. “I mean, it shows that you’re _mine_.”

A shiver went down my spine as he pulled me closer to him and kissed the offending mark, his teeth grazed it slightly causing me to moan quietly. Knocking at the door spurred Zak from his actions, he opened the door to a typically grinning Nick who seemed rather bemused at the fact Zak wasn’t fully dressed yet. A few remarks were tossed back and forth before I intervened; giving Zak some time to find the rest of his clothing.

“…have fun last night?” Nick asked as I leaned against the door frame.

“Yes.” I replied, raising an eyebrow. I wasn’t entirely sure just _how_ much Nick knew about last night’s activities so I didn’t want to comment on certain events in-case it came back to haunt me later on.

“…good.” He smirked. “Got a little souvenir I see.” He nodded towards my neck. I raised an eyebrow at him and playfully punched his arm. Zak was apparently ready to leave so we met up with Billy and Aaron, we spent the majority of the day wondering around the city; filming various landmarks for the intro of the episode. At some point Aaron and I got separated from the others as an ‘Aaron’s vlog’ got a bit out of hand and we ended up making a swift getaway from an angry old man.

We darted into a small alleyway panting from running, Aaron pointed the camera to me and laughed.

“God dammit Aaron...” I wheezed. “You can’t just take someone’s produce and start juggling it!”

“I know...now...” he replied, leaning against the brick exterior of the building as he started laughing again.

“Bad idea Aaron.” I remarked, regaining my composure. “Where are the others?”

He shrugged and poked his head around the corner, gesturing me to follow him when he determined that the coast was clear. The endless winding pathways we walked along eventually lead to a plaza of some sort with a tall bell-tower in the centre of sandstone-coloured brickwork. The sun was shining down and seemingly reflecting off the lightly-painted buildings, we walked into the centre of the paved area.

“We’re lost aren’t we?” I asked, I found the camera pointing back at me as I folded my arms across my chest.

“...no...” Aaron replied slowly, fighting back a laugh. “I know where we are.”

“Where then?”

“Venice.”

I groaned and struck the heel of my hand against my head. I found my phone in the pocket of my jeans and called the first of the guy’s numbers which flashed up.

“Where the hell are you? Billy’s in trouble with the authorities because he entered a certain building wearing shorts.” Nick said as soon as he picked up the call. “They’re talking about arresting him for the night.”

“...uh...okay. Um Aaron and I are currently standing in some plaza somewhere...we’re lost.”

I heard Nick laugh slightly and then Zak attempting to explain something to the Italian police officers. “Okay, um well we’re probably going to end up in the police station at this rate.”

I held back a laugh as I heard Zak getting slightly irate in the background. “Well as long as it’s not for assault, I think Aaron and I are quite close to where we’re meant to be meeting Miguel so we might just head over there.”

“Yeah okay, I’ll try not to let your boyfriend get thrown in jail.” Nick remarked before ending the call. I relayed the conversation to Aaron who simply laughed and agreed that we should make our way to the rendezvous with our guide.

With no idea on where exactly the others were or how long they would be, we ended up sat in a coffeehouse discussing Poveglia Island’s history with Miguel.

“So what is actually on Poveglia? Like I know about the plague fields and the hospital but are there any other buildings?” I asked.

“There’s a chapel, uh…an old prison building…some half-built housing.” Miguel replied in his thick Italian accent, counting the locations off on his hands. “An insane asylum…old storerooms too, and of course the burning grounds.”

“Are all of them reportedly haunted?”

“It’s expected as such, with the amount of death that occurred on the island it would seem only natural.”

“So how many died?”

“More than 100,000. Mostly from the different plagues, wars, tsunamis, cults…lots of death.”

“Too much death.” Aaron sighed.

We spent a while longer talking about the island and its ‘cursed’ history, the day seemed to be drawing to a close quickly. It seemed unlikely that we would be able to get out to the island before nightfall, but Zak and the others appeared with about two hours until sundown.

“God dammit Billy.” Zak muttered as we settled in a boat whose driver had agreed to take us to Poveglia as long as he didn’t have to actually set foot on the island. “Just why dude?”

“What? I’m not the one who started arguing with the police.” Billy answered defensively. The boat was cramped, Zak’s irritation was rolling off of him in vibes that made everyone feel uneasy.

“I was not arguing with them.”

Nick raised an eyebrow but said nothing, focusing instead on the approaching land. I followed his gaze; the bell tower of the chapel loomed over the trees and smaller buildings, there wasn’t much to pick out because we were still about twenty minutes away but it certainly looked creepy. Zak seemed to calm down after a few minutes and notice just exactly where we were going, his face a mixture of excitement and anticipation.

 

**~***~**

My first impression of the island confirmed my suspicions; it was creepy. The derelict buildings that were half boarded up and half fallen to pieces reminded me of Preston Castle a little too much. Zak was like a kid in a candy store as usual, Billy had possession of the infamous machete this time around, Nick filmed the tour of the grounds, Aaron kept protesting about spiders and bugs being attracted to him and I kept hearing Jay itching to explore but was reluctant to leave my side.

Miguel was hesitant about going inside the buildings, he gestured for Zak to explore to his heart’s content but appeared edgy when Zak turned around to beckon him to follow. I felt an uneasy pressure, like someone was watching me from the broken roof rafters above us. I brushed it off and made an effort to ignore it, Zak was happily ordering Aaron and Billy to mark ‘x’s at various points along our tour; in the chapel and the hospital. The uneasy feeling only increased as we travelled deeper into the island’s ruins, the chapel was creepiest of all; a skeleton with ivy crawling up the remains of the iron staircase inside the tower. Zak was babbling something to Nick’s camera; the others getting reacquainted with the main part of the chapel, I quietly slipped away and found the way to the stairs leading to the top of the belltower. All my instincts told me it was a stupid idea, but my curiosity got the better of me again. I cautiously tested the first step, applying my weight slowly onto it, the rusted metal screeched in protest and I felt it sag slightly but it seemed sturdy enough to continue.

When I was about half way up the tower Jay made his presence known quite loudly by laughing, I smiled to myself as I felt him rush past me as up further. The only thing that was causing me to rethink my current actions was the uneasy feeling in the back of my mind, this was _Poveglia Island_ I was on, the black-hole of the paranormal world, the island of death; surely anything that could happen to me _would_ happen.

“ _So why are you willingly going up to the top of the belltower?_ ” Jay asked, evidently reading my thoughts again.

“I dunno. I was bored of the interviews.” I sighed, reaching the last few steps. There was a room at the top of the stairs, cluttered with broken furniture and crates upon crates of disintegrating paper, wild plants had invaded the walls and were crawling over the cracks like ants in a nest. There was no door to the balcony that the mad doctor had jumped from, well not anymore anyway, just an archway.

I was too nervous to walk out onto the degrading wood flooring of the balcony, I just stood in the archway and looked out at the late afternoon sky; the boats travelling back and forth between the different parts of Venice, the tall buildings basking in the sunlight, the sea birds squawking in protest as fishermen batted them away from the vessels.

“ _Nice view isn’t it?_ ” Jay asked.

“Yeah…” I sighed. “I find it weird how a place like Venice, known worldwide for its canals and romantic features, could have such a dark side…”

“ _Everyone has their secrets._ ”

“True…ah well…I suppose we ought to get back to the guys, they’ll be worried if I’m gone for too long, I can imagine that Zak would be going crazy.”

After taking one last look at the view laid out before me, I made my way back down the tower. As predicted; Zak wasn’t too impressed that I had wondered off alone, he gave me the same old lecture about dangerous places and ‘what would have happened if…’ and so on whilst Nick and the others made their way back outside the chapel.

“I just don’t want you getting lost or hurt…” he said, his voice softening as we followed the others at a distance.

“I know. But I am quite capable of looking after myself Zak.” I replied, linking his fingers in mine. “I’m not always a damsel in distress.”

“So I’m imagining the previous incidents during lockdowns then am I?” he remarked.

“…I said not always. I mean, everyone needs help once in a while.” I smiled, he pressed a kiss to my forehead in reply.

The rest of the tour went by, with two more ‘x’s being marked out for the mental hospital and the bridge overlooking the plague fields. At every building we came to Miguel would stop and cautiously peer into it, almost checking to see if the coast was clear, when Zak showed an interest in the old prison building he simply shrugged and said;

“Go in if you want, but I stay out, I live.”

“ _That’s comforting._ ” Jay whispered, a hint of laughter in his voice. I rolled my eyes and hissed for him to be quiet.

Zak nodded and gestured for us to follow him into the old prison, leaving Billy outside with Miguel,  it just seemed like your standard abandoned prison; rusted iron railings, missing ceiling tiles, broken doors and windows, nature reclaiming the structure and so on. The atmosphere however seemed off; just like it had in the chapel only it was stronger here.

“Do you feel it?” I asked as we stood on the ground level of the building.

“I feel something.” Zak replied. “There’s something in the air.”

“Statically charged alright.” Nick added. “I have a feeling something will become of it during the investigation.”

“Wanna put the final ‘x’ here?” Zak asked, Nick nodded and so Aaron got out the black duct tape to mark it down.

“It was just like this in the chapel.” I murmured, gazing down the room at the empty forgotten cells.

“Huh?” Nick asked.

“This feeling, it’s stronger here but I felt it in the chapel.”

“Oh, well…it might be the reason why Miguel doesn’t want to enter here.”

I nodded, hearing Zak call us back to the doorway. Something was gnawing away at me, something about this prison wasn’t good and I had a feeling that the investigation would prove me right.

**~***~**

We got back to the hotel after stopping off somewhere to eat, it was getting late as we only got back to the mainland at about seven after we lost Billy in the overgrown foliage. Zak was exhausted and practically collapsed on the bed the minute we got into the room.

“So…tired…” he mumbled into the bed sheets. I rolled my eyes and got changed to go to sleep whilst he just lay there muttering things, when I nudged him over he looked up sleepily and sighed heavily.

“Zak, if you want to sleep then just take your clothes off and get _into_ bed.” I remarked, stroking his cheek. He smiled slightly and slowly sat up, his muscles flexed as he took off his shirt, I watched the tattoo on his back shift as his shoulders moved. When he finally fell back against the mattress again and pulled the sheets over him I wrapped an arm around his chest; pulling myself closer to him.

“…mm…I gotta be one of the luckiest guys in the world…” he whispered, taking my hand in his as it lay on top of him.

“…you compliment me too much Zak…” I replied. “I’m lucky to have you.”

He pressed a kiss to my forehead and settled his arm around me, he then quickly fell asleep, keeping a protective hold on me. I sighed quietly with content, I really was lucky to have him, even if I didn’t admit it; especially how much he goes out of his way to make sure I’m safe and comfortable, then again considering just what we end up doing everytime we see each other it’s almost a necessity.

I felt myself being drawn into sleep, most people dream about being in Venice for a holiday or even a honeymoon, yet here I was in Venice to explore its dark side, and that’s just how I liked it.


	5. Like a deer in the headlights

**Like a deer in the headlights**

Dusk was approaching, I had been told that we had a little over two hours before we’d be abandoned on the island of Poveglia. The island looked creepier in the fading light, suspicious shadows were cast everywhere, I kept turning to look behind me as I made my way to the bridge to set up one of the x-cameras by myself. Zak had decided that we would be able to get things set up quicker if we split up, good idea in theory, in practise not so much.

The overgrown pathways leading around the island all looked the same, they all seemed to run in circles too. I brushed tree branches out of the way as I carried the heavy equipment bag through towards what I thought was the general direction of the bridge.

“...I wish I had taken the creepy chapel now.” I muttered to Jay.

“ _I think it’s only a little further ahead..._ ” he replied.

“I hope so. This thing is heavy.” I complained, shifting the case strap from one shoulder to the other.

Eventually I reached the damn bridge and started setting up the tripod that the camera would sit on. A gentle breeze blew through the area from across the burning fields, there was a weird feeling in the air, it seemed to completely cloak the island like a veil; just a feeling of uneasiness wherever I went. I paused as I was adjusting the height of the tripod and looked over the bridge at the field, it was eerily silent.

“...I don’t like how silent it is...” I muttered. “As if it wasn’t creepy enough here...”

Jay chuckled quietly to himself, which was the only noise I heard other than the wind occasionally rushing through the long grass. I shrugged and did my best to ignore the uneasy feeling as I finished setting up the camera and putting in the first tape of many for the investigation.

I decided to walk alongside the water, as logic would say; we were on an island, I’d find my way back to the boat eventually, it was safer than trying to find my way through the foliage anyway. The fading light reflected off the vast expense of water, the wisps of cloud overhead were few and far between, there didn’t seem to be any giant crosses like last time. I passed a red-brick building we hadn’t been shown, red tape was crossed over the doorway – clearly it was off limits like many of the buildings. I peered past the tape, the roof had caved in and rubble lay everywhere, I could see like much of the island it had been invaded by plant-life but nothing much else.

As I continued walking along the edge of the island I passed what looked like the hospital, Billy was probably long gone after setting the x-camera up so I didn’t bother stopping. The foliage got particularly thick as I went on, the island edge got further away from me as I climbed through branches of shrubs and low-hanging trees. Eventually I came to a small clearing that backed onto another red-brick building.

“Got any idea where we are now?” I asked Jay.

“ _The prison._ ” He bluntly replied.

“Oh I can just cut through here then instead of battling back through the undergrowth.” I remarked, slowly entering the building from an open archway. I saw the row of cells, all rusting as time reclaimed them, varying graffiti marks left all along the walls in multitudes of different colours. Shards of glass littered the floor and crunched under my sneakers as I cautiously walked through the shadows, the uneasy feeling was back just like it was yesterday, I kept looking behind me; sensing that I was being watched.

The prison didn’t have a complex layout, it was a simple rectangular building, it shouldn’t have taken long to walk in one end and out the other. However I walked slowly, taking in the atmosphere, the feeling of unease gnawing at my thoughts. It was oddly addicting.

“... _I don’t like it here..._ ” Jay murmured.

“Why?” I asked, pausing to look into one of the cells.

“... _There’s something bad here..._ ”

I looked towards the door the other end of the cells, light poured in and illuminated the cluttered floor and cracked paint of the walls. It also cast odd shadows across the room.

“Define ‘bad’ Jay. Is it Leap castle ‘bad’ or what?” I sighed.

“ _Mackey’s ‘bad’_.” He whispered. “ _I mean...like what is attached to Zak still...that kind of bad._ ”

I leaned against one of the cell doors, processing this new information as I nudged a piece of the ceiling that had fallen away with my foot, I wasn’t exactly overjoyed about this turn of events. “I suppose we ought to hurry up and get back to the meeting place.” I concluded after a few moments of silence.

**~***~**

“So, here we are; Poveglia Island. The location that gave us some of our most compelling evidence to date.” Zak declared to Nick’s camera. “We’re back to face the tortured souls under the cover of darkness once again.”

We were barely minutes away from being in darkness, the boat had left a while ago, we were stuck on this island until dawn now. For some reason no one had set up the x-camera in the prison, Nick had given me a somewhat vague explanation when I asked him, saying that we’d be starting off our investigation there so we’d set it up then.

“We have Billy and Luna with us this time so hopefully we’ll be able to split up more effectively this time around.” Zak continued, I had Aaron’s camera suddenly pointed at me, I gave a smile and a wave in response. “Now with all the technicalities out of the way, let’s go ahead and reinvestigate Poveglia island.”

Just as Nick said, we ended up in the prison just as night fell over us, the building looking damn right terrifying in the eerie night vision glow of Aaron’s LCD screen which I glanced at quickly before we entered.

“...okay let’s get the static night vision camera set up over here.” Zak commanded, pointing to the far corner of the room. “We’ll get both doors and the ground floor level cells in one frame.”

Billy grunted in reply and I heard a series of shuffles and bags being opened. One lone flashlight beam lit up what he was doing, the rest of the room was in complete darkness. I had no equipment whatsoever so I folded my arms and leaned against one of the cell doors as Zak walked around with a digital recorder in his hand, I assumed Nick and Aaron were filming in silence as Billy set up the final x-camera.

“Is there anyone in here who would like to talk to us?” Zak called out. When no response came he called out again, “fanno un rumore!”

I vaguely remembered being taught a few Italian phrases to use during this investigation, Zak had just told them to make a noise. I thought about how prison lockdowns normally mean provoking the hell out of some spirits, I was about to start the provoking when Jay interrupted my thoughts.

“ _Don’t you dare. No. Seriously don’t make yourself a target, not in this building._ ”

“Fine.” I breathed, discarding my plan.

“Usare la mia energia.” Nick called out in the vacant silence we had fallen into. I had a bad feeling of déjà vu when he did so. Last time he asked something to use his energy, shit happened.

An uneasy feeling started creeping up on me, leaning against a cell door probably wasn’t the smartest thing in the world to be doing. I subconsciously hugged myself as I became aware that it was slightly colder in the room now.

“You okay?” Zak’s voice suddenly right beside my ear.

“Y-yeah, just a little cold.” I replied, looking into the darkness behind me, all the cells were open and I was kind of expecting a small animal to be scampering around. I felt my way around and entered the cell, hearing Nick faintly say to Zak; “I got this dude.” Then footsteps approaching me.

“You hear something?” he asked.

“No...I just have a weird feeling...” I mumbled in reply, rubbing my forehead slightly as I scanned the darkness, a pretty useless exercise but it made me feel like I could somewhat understand where I was. “Like...I dunno...just something’s here...”

“Here, take this.” Nick said, pushing what I guessed was an EMF reader into my hand, I nodded and held it in front of me. “Are you in the cell with Luna?” he called out.

There was no reaction, I leaned against the wall, still one arm across my body as the uneasy feeling remained. “Sei un assassino?” I asked after a while. “Is that why you’re here? Because you murdered someone?”

I knew Zak didn’t like me provoking spirits, but how else were we supposed to get evidence? I could tell Jay wasn’t exactly over the moon about me ignoring his warning. There was no response to my question, we stood there for a while longer with no activity seeming to manifest.

“Right,  I think we should split up a little.” Zak declared. “Billy, you come with me to the mental hospital.”

“Got it.” Billy replied.

“Aaron, you go to the chapel.”

“Yup.”

“Nick and Luna go to the other hospital.”

“Sure Zak.” Nick answered.

“We’ll meet up in a while and go to the burial fields.” Zak finalised. As we all got ourselves ready to split up and go on our separate ways he took me aside with the aid of a flashlight. “Be careful okay?” he told me, his face lit up with the white beam of light.

“Sure, I have Nick, I’ll be fine.” I replied, I wasn’t scared that anything would happen, but for that reason I was scared of _myself_ for being so relaxed. “You be careful too.”

He smiled and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “I will.”

Nick appeared and we then began to battle through the wilderness to the hospital, the foliage was harder to bat away when all I had to see with was a small flashlight beam.

“Hold on, why am _I_ the one clearing the way Nick? Shouldn’t a strong man such as yourself be doing it whilst I film?” I remarked as I stopped to regain my breath.

“...I can if you want me to.” He replied with a smirk.

“You do that, give me the camera.” I said. He complied, handing me the camera in exchange for the small flashlight and then proceeded to start clearing a path for us leading to the hospital. The hospital building had the same look as the prison; red-brick exterior, hollowed out sections of walls where windows would’ve been, the door was ajar and hanging off its hinges slightly.

“Creepy.” I stated as we got to the door.

“Sure is.” Nick replied, he pulled the remains of the door open, it squealed in protest but opened easily. We stepped inside the building, it opened up; the darkness never-ending. The camera only showed what was a few feet in front of me, the eerie green night vision spectrum showing the abandoned nurse’s station; the papers from patient files discarded along the floor in various stages of degrading. Plants crawled in from every available space; ivy vines choking the structure and looking like the legs of a spider in the darkness.

As we walked through the hallways, out footsteps echoing slightly, I felt a presence, faint at first but definitely not Jay. I stopped and turned around, the camera illuminating the doorway we had just walked by.

“What’s up?” Nick asked, appearing at my side.

“Something’s here…I can feel it…it’s not Jay.” I replied, walking to the doorway and using the camera to look into the room. A rusted bedframe sat in the far corner of the small room, a window space had been consumed by plants from outside; blocking out what little moonlight we had.

“…hello?” I called quietly. “è qualcuno qui?”

There was no response. Nick stood outside the room in complete darkness with no way to see as I walked further into the room.

“Sei malato?” I asked, this was a hospital, it would make sense that someone would be ill if they were here. “Do you need help?”

I strained to hear any kind of potential answer, I could feel the presence still but I was by no means a medium so I couldn’t really do anything other than ask for it to communicate.

“I want you to make a noise for us.” I declared “Fare un rumore” I translated vaguely.

A thud from down the corridor spooked Nick, he left to investigate whilst I stayed in the room, I kept asking for something to make a noise for Nick, to let him know it was there.

“Luna get down here!” I heard him yell. I quickly made my way down the corridor, following Nick’s yells as I got closer. He was in what looked like the operating theatre, the table still in the middle of the room, complete with what looked like dried blood.

“What is it Nick?” I asked, walking over to join him at the table.

“I keep hearing whispering.” He replied quietly, digging out a digital recorder and placing it on the metal slab of the operating table.

We stood in silence for a period of time that felt like forever, we didn’t call out, we didn’t talk to each other, we didn’t move. I gave the camera back to Nick and held up a finger to gesture for him to be quiet.

“I’m going to lie on the table with the recorder resting on top of me okay?” I asked, it wasn’t really a question as I seized the little device and eased myself onto the cold metal table. I knew that Zak would go ape shit when he found out but at this point I couldn’t care less.

As I lay back, letting my body relax, my senses heightened, Nick’s footsteps as he carefully backed away seemed louder than normal, the air seemed heavier, my breathing unsteady. I set the recorder on my stomach and waited – what for I did not know – but waited for something.

I closed my eyes, they were useless in the darkness anyway, I tried to keep my breathing as quiet as possible so to not ruin the recording, my body stilled, I let my mind wander slightly, considering how many people passed through this hospital and how many different diseases passed through. I didn’t really want to think of how many died but it was occurring to me that I was led on an operating table, chances are people died right where I was lying.

“…did you die here?” I asked, breaking the silence. “Did you die here on this table?”

The hairs on my arms stood up, my neck too, there was a sudden chill in the air. I held my breath as I told myself to remain calm.

“Talk to us. Let us know you’re here.” I called out. Nick moved slightly, his feet shuffling along the floor.

The chill in the air was more than just a simple breeze now, it was almost like a blanket had been thrown over me, a blanket that had been stored in a basement for a few days that is. I made a conscious effort to not let myself shiver or my teeth chatter.

“Fare un rumore!” I demanded loudly.

A low hum came from somewhere above me, my eyes flew open in some vague attempt to see in the darkness. I bit my lip, keeping myself from saying anything as I waited for another noise. When none came I lifted my head, or at least tried to, my head felt heavy so I gave up and went to move my arms to help myself sit up.

They wouldn’t move. Something was holding them down.

I remained silent, relaxed and tried again. Still nothing, my fingers would move and I could turn my hand, my wrist too but I couldn’t _lift_ my arm off the metal table.

“N-Nick…” I whispered. “I can’t move my arms.”

He approached me but stopped short. “Geez it’s freezing.” He remarked. I imagined him stretching his arm out to feel the air.

“Nick. Help me off the table.” I hissed, failing to keep the panic out of my voice.

“S-Sorry.” He replied, I felt his hand on my wrist, warm against my skin. “Holy cow you’re like ice!”

“Nick, just get me off the fucking table.” I muttered lowly. “Get me out of here.”

He grasped my wrist and lifted my arm easily, I scrambled off the table, clutching the digital recorder, I quickly walked blindly through the room and into the hallway, I had no idea how I was navigating the building in complete darkness but I was, I had to get out of there, something was pooling inside of me, something that wasn’t meant to be there.

I broke into a run, I heard Nick calling for me but I ignored him, I had to get outside, I had to get away.

The night-time air was welcome to my senses, I stumbled and held my hair out of the way as I vomited into the grass. Nick caught up with me and took me by the arm, I sat down on the dirt path and ducked my head down, breathing heavily.

“What’s wrong?” Nick asked, turning on his flashlight. “What happened? Are you okay?”

I shook my head, rubbing my forehead. “No…no…” I sighed.

“What…what happened?”

I explained what I had felt and heard; how cold I was at the time, how I couldn’t move, the hum that I had heard. He listened and comfortingly rubbed my back. When I had finished he hugged me, I clutched onto him, part of me wishing that I was back in Zak’s home, on his couch, safe from all of this, however the other part of me was weirdly content with what had happened, bizarrely…ecstatic about it…

I shook my head and got up, I sighed heavily.

“ _…are you okay?_ ” Jay whispered. I nodded. “ _…it wasn’t trying to hurt you…it just wanted attention…_ ”

I nodded again, Nick put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a quick smile.

“Are you okay to continue? Do you want me to tell Zak?”

“No. Don’t tell him. He’ll only worry, I don’t want him worrying, it’s fine. It wasn’t trying to hurt me according to Jay.” I replied quickly. “I’ll be fine.”

He gave me a look which showed he really didn’t believe me but he didn’t question me. “Do you need to take a break or do you want to go back in there?”

I thought for a few moments. My mind was a battleground; the two halves of me having a war about whether or not I wanted to go back in there.

“Just for a while…and not back…there…” I replied.

“Okay, just let me know if you feel uneasy again.” He said, smiling slightly again.

We walked back in the building, I swallowed, the acidy taste of my vomit still there, reminding me of how scared I was, how my stomach had turned when I was defenceless in the dark.

This time we walked the complete opposite direction of the operating theatre, along a hallway, small rooms lined the hallway, offering no interesting features to gasp my attention. We reached the stairs leading up to the next floor, I swallowed again, sighing heavily as we climbed the old steps which creaked under our weight, the second floor didn’t offer much more than the first; same small rooms either side of us, same holes where windows would’ve been.

I stopped walking. Nick stopped a few steps later. “Something wrong?” he asked.

“…no…” I murmured, I felt uneasy, something was following me.

“Sure?”

“…I…I just don’t want to be here…no reason…I just don’t want to be here anymore.”

Nick placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze as we made our way downstairs to the first floor there was another low hum. I froze.

“Tell me you heard that.” I demanded.

“…what?”

“That hum.” I muttered “The same one I heard earlier when…” I broke off, feeling the hairs on my neck stand on end.”

“…no…” Nick replied slowly.

“…let’s go. I don’t want to-” I started, interrupted by a thud from down the hallway, the hallway that would take us outside. “…fuck.”

“Come on.” Nick said.

“N-No.”

“Luna it’s the way out.”

“I’m not going.”

“Luna-”

“You can’t make me.”

He turned on his flashlight, shining it near my face so to not blind me but close enough so he could see me. “What has gotten into you? What’s wrong?”

“Nick I’m _not_ going near whatever made that noise.”

“We can’t just stay here.”

“We’ll find a window.”

“Oh no, I’m not putting you in that kind of danger, we’re walking out the door.”

“Nick I’m not going down there!” I screamed, balling my hands into fists and bringing them to my forehead. I spun away from him and swallowed, desperately trying to keep myself together.

Nick remained silent, he didn’t approach me, he didn’t walk away, he just stood there. After a few moments I turned back to him but didn’t look at him in the dim light of his flashlight.

“…Luna.”

“Nick I really _really_ don’t want to go down there.” I murmured.

He took my hand in his, a comforting gesture rather than a romantic one. “It’ll be okay.” He whispered. “I’ll get you out of here, we’ll find Zak, we’ll tell him what happened. Luna I’m not going to pretend nothing has happened. We have to tell him.”

“…I…I just want…” I uttered.

“Shh…” he pulled me into a hug. “I’ll get you back to Zak, don’t worry.”

I nodded against him, trying to ignore the ongoing battle in my mind, one voice sneering at me to stay in the hospital and the other begging to be let out.


	6. On the edge

**On the edge**

Nick was true to his word. He led me out of the building by the hand. I sunk to the dirt path and hugged myself protectively. Nick called Zak on his cell phone, something that was only ever done in an emergency, he explained that something had happened and that I needed Zak right that second.

Five minutes later the others showed up, Aaron and Billy confused to say the least, Zak on hyper-alert, he immediately took me in his arms and hugged me tightly, asking both Nick and I what had happened. I was past telling him anything, I just buried my face in his shirt and breathed in the familiar safe scent of him as Nick relayed what I had told him. Aaron kept filming from a distance, not asking anything, just filming, Billy stood with his arms folded, deep in thought at the story Nick was telling.

“Sweetheart…” Zak whispered, brushing the hair out of my eyes after Nick had finished. “Baby…it’s okay…”

I didn’t reply, I clutched onto him like a small monkey, I didn’t cry, crying wasn’t part of dealing with this, I was too damn terrified to cry.

“Luna…” Zak murmured, cupping my face in his hand. “Say something…please…I need to know what you’re feeling.”

“…don’t make me go in there…” I mumbled, searching his panicked eyes for some form of understanding. “Don’t make me go back there…”

“Shh…it’s okay…I won’t make you go back there…” he replied. “I really ought to stop this investigation but there’s not much I can do out here.”

“No…no. I want to continue.” I said, seemingly snapping back to my usual self. “I just don’t wanna go back in…there…” I looked at the hospital. “Please Zak.”

He looked to Nick and then to Billy. “What do you guys think?”

Billy just shrugged.

“…I dunno.” Nick murmured in defeat.

“Okay, let’s just…let’s make our way to the burial fields but…just don’t push yourself Luna…” he said quietly, stroking my cheek lightly.

I nodded, we made our way to the burial fields, which turned out to be the burning fields over the canal that separated the island into two parts. The x-camera was sat there on the bridge staring impassively at the field over the canal, Billy replaced the tape before following us into the grass.

Zak was cautious around me, making sure I was okay, which whilst I was thankful for because of my experience, was a little tiresome when we were in a field trying to capture shadow figures.

A light breeze rushed through the field, I stood up to my waist in dry, long grass tickling at my arms folded against my waist. My senses were still heightened, every little noise I heard sent alarm bells through my mind, whilst this was useful when it came to determining where everyone was; it was annoying when Aaron kept asking why I was turning to look behind me every few seconds.

“I keep hearing things…” I muttered, peering into the darkness. “like…breathing.” I murmured in reply.

Zak had put on one of the creepy plague masks that he had obtained the last time they were here. “ricordi di me?” he asked, pointing to the mask. “Dottore.” He stated.

I rolled my eyes, that mask was creepy, I had seen it, I can only imagine how fucked up it looked in the night vision glow on the cameras. The field was more or less silent, the wind had died down so the grass remained still; I stood rooted to the spot in a vague attempt to seem impassive to this situation.

“… _helpme…_ ”

I spun around, the darkness mocking me as I tried to figure out what I had just heard. Zak continued shouting Italian phrases at the empty field, or what I _thought_ was an empty field. I folded my arms over my chest, turning my head to try and hear it again, whatever ‘it’ was.

“ _…aiuto aiuto_ ” I wasn’t sure what that meant, it was Italian but I simply didn’t understand.

“Non capisco...I don’t know what you’re saying.” I whispered.

I heard footsteps in the grass approaching me. “Luna? What’s up?” it was Billy.

“I heard something…whispering…but I didn’t understand it.” I replied.

I heard him shuffling around in his jacket, he pressed a digital recorder into my hand. “Try and capture it again.” He murmured before walking away. I pressed the button to start rolling. Zak and Nick were calling out for anything to make its presence known.

A snapping twig made me jump, it came from beside me, I knew that I was the furthest away from the bridge, none of the guys were this far back, something else was here. My rational thoughts said it could be an animal, after all; this island had plenty of lizards and the infamous giant rats, snapping twigs were almost completely normal occurrences. However, when a low moan came immediately afterwards; I was ready to run.

I stood my ground, gritting my teeth, balling my hands into fists, the recorder digging into my palm. I was not scared. Fear is an illusion.

“… _helpme…_ ” there it was again, the whisper, I could make out two words, the last one ‘me’. I kept still, silent, my thoughts arguing again. “ _…please…_ ”

I understood that one, I turned, I heard another twig snap. “Hello?” I asked.

“ _…help…_ ”

“Come this way.” I said without realising that what I just said was probably about to lead to a lot of bad things. “Come towards me.”

The grass around me shifted, as if someone was walking through it but I heard no footsteps. I kept myself still, partially out of fear that I would never admit to having, partially out of curiosity.

I blinked, the darkness was still mocking me. “ _…you…_ ”

Zak called to me from the bridge, I told him I was coming, I turned back to where I was hearing the whispers. “Follow him, communicate with him.” I murmured, turning to make my way back to the guys.

**~***~**

We took a few minutes to consider where we were going next, Zak wanted to go back to the hospital and find whatever had held me down on the operating table for himself, I obviously didn’t.

“Do you wanna go to the chapel then?” he asked me, “I wanna go and see this hospital with Nick.”

“Yeah okay.” I replied, the chapel had seemed creepy but weirdly peaceful compared to anywhere else.

“Okay.” He drew me into a hug and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Billy and Aaron will go with you.” He stated, pulling back. “Take care.”

“You too.” I murmured, moving to leave with Billy and Aaron, Nick gave me a quick smile and a wave as the flashlights were turned off, plunging us back into darkness.

The chapel certainly was more peaceful, there wasn’t any feeling of uneasiness as we walked through the empty cavernous room. The typical pews of a church were nowhere to be found, much like the rest of the island this building looked like it was abandoned by its occupants; everything of value being taken when they left.

I sat on the floor in the middle of the room, Aaron sat on the far side of the room from me, Billy the only one walking around with a digital recorder in hand.

“Is there anyone here who would like to speak to us?” Billy asked the darkness.

I felt more relaxed here, my senses were still sharp from earlier but I wasn’t as paranoid anymore. The chapel remained quiet, it was kind of a blessing really.

“Was it the doctor who threw himself off the belltower or the priest?” I asked.

“The mad doctor. He was apparently seeing the spirits of the patients he experimented on.” Billy replied.

“I want to go up into the belltower.” I declared after a few moments.

A flashlight went on, Billy approached me and handed me our spare camera. “Be careful. Yell like crazy if anything happens. We’ll be down here.” He said.

I nodded and turned the camera on, the green image of the doorway to the staircase lit up the LCD screen. I slowly made my way through to the stairs. In the daylight they hadn’t seemed so sinister, now they seemed like they would purposely break; sending me to the ground with a thud.

“ _That thing from Leap Castle keeps causing trouble._ ” Jay informed me as I start ascending the steps.

“Was it in the hospital with me Jay?” I asked.

“ _No. It was trying to get in but…whatever was there wasn’t having any of its shit._ ”

“I see…” I mumbled, “What do you mean by causing trouble?”

“ _It’s riling up the other spirits…something bad is going to happen at some point._ ”

“To me?”

Jay didn’t respond, I got to the top of the tower, there was a definite breeze rushing through the barren doorway. Using the camera to see in the darkness I peered down the staircase, it was quite an impressive drop. I turned back to the room; the crates beckoning me with their contents. The writing was illegible in the night vision setting but the diagrams were in bold ink; gruesome images drawn out of experiments that were clearly from the mind of a deranged person.

“…that’s…interesting…” I commented as I flicked through more of them, any writing I could pick out was in Italian and the handwriting was hard to read. “So then…is this what you did to your patients, doctor?” I asked.

The wooden flooring of the balcony creaked slightly in the wind, I ignored it. Returning to the piles of paper strewn around; I found more images, disturbing images, as I dug through a different crate my hand brushed against something solid and round. I put the camera down on the table facing the balcony as I levered the object out.

“Fucking hell…” I muttered, whatever it was…it had been sat in the box for a while. I emptied the contents of the crate blindly, books upon books came out on the floor around me, eventually I caught hold of what I had originally found.

I couldn’t see what it was so I put it on the table and picked up the camera again, when I looked through the LCD screen at it my blood froze.

“Jay…what…who…” I uttered, my mind not believing what I had just dug out of a crate.

“ _…I believe it’s a skull._ ” He replied.

“…who’s skull?” I murmured. “The doctor’s…or…” I traced the structure of the eye sockets with my finger.

“ _…probably a patient. He probably kept it as…as a…I dunno…_ ”

I nodded, turning the camera to face me. “Well…discovery of the night I think.” I declared, pointing it back at the skull, it was small for a human head.

“Do you think it was a child’s?”

“ _I don’t know Luna._ ”

I nodded again, sighing heavily. I picked up the skull and held it in my hand, studying it through the LCD screen. It was in reasonably good condition; there were a few minor cracks and a few fragments had broken off but on the whole it was unscathed.

The balcony creaked again, setting my senses back on edge. I was sat in the belltower with a freaking _skull_ in my hand, I quickly put it back on the table, panning the camera around to look at the rest of the room, there was nothing of interest really so I took my chances with the balcony. The walls were stone so I couldn’t understand why the flooring was wooden, as I edged outside I placed a hand on the stone wall, the stones were slightly loose, I didn’t like this omen.

“…weird…” I murmured to myself.

“ _…how so?_ ” a whisper asked. It wasn’t Jay’s voice by a long shot, it was lower, hoarser, one that would belong to an older male.

I turned slightly, panning the camera around, there was no-one there.

“…H-Hello?” I asked, my hand still on the wall of the balcony.

No response. I looked back out at the lit up city of Venice, hoping that I had imagined it but not really believing myself. I sighed heavily and rested the camera on a stool next to the doorway, turning back to the balcony.

“Let me know you’re here.” I stated, peering over the wall at the grass and dirt below.

“ _…..ok._ ” the low whisper replied. I felt a pressure on my back, I tried to turn but the pressure increased, I could tell that whatever was pushing me against the wall had a lot of strength, I tried to push myself away from the loose stones but couldn’t.

“Okay, okay I know you’re here.” I babbled. “Let me go and I’ll leave this tower.”

An eerie laugh came from all around me before the pressure on my back increased even more, the stones on the top of the wall shifting slightly as they dug into my ribs. My legs felt cold and were going numb as circulation was cut off, I then felt as if I was being lifted up, my vision went blurred for a few moment before I was able to look down, there was no floor beneath me, just the grass and dirt, my hands gripped the edge of the wall tightly as I suddenly became aware of just _what_ had happened.

“Jay…Jay…” I coughed, struggling to stop myself falling, I scrambled to find a solid stone to cling to whilst I heaved myself back over the wall and onto the balcony’s wooden flooring. I wished I had kept up the exercise when I left school now, having upper body strength would’ve been wonderful.

“Jay!” I snapped.

“ _Ugh…ow…shit what happened?_ ” he murmured.

“I don’t know Jay, just help me…ah..” my hand slipped, the stone I had been holding fell down to the ground with a thud. A similar fate would be awaiting me if I didn’t get myself back over the damn wall.

“ _I can’t…I’m not strong enough…_ ” he explained hurriedly. “ _Something’s here, it’s draining the energy from everything_.”

I swallowed, trying to find another stone. I was tiring quickly, I was surely going to lose whatever grip I had left on the wall. “Billy!” I shouted. “Aaron!”

My fingers were probably white by now with the strain of holding me up, I managed to get enough leverage to haul my elbows up onto the wall but my strength ceased there, all I could do was hold on and wait for them to get me.

“Billy!” I screamed this time. “Aaron!”

I heard their footsteps on the stairs. “We’re coming Luna!” Billy called up.

“Hurry up, I can’t hold on!” I replied.

“Hold on to what-” Billy started as he got to the top of the stairs. “Holy shit what are you _doing_?!” he asked, rushing over to me once his flashlight had settled on me clinging desperately to the wall.

“I didn’t do this on _purpose_ you know!” I snapped. Aaron rushed over too and helped Billy haul me up and into the room of the belltower.

We sat on the floor exhausted, I was speechless, I couldn’t believe that I had nearly been _thrown off a building_ by something, Billy and Aaron were just as speechless as I was. They had rewound the tape and watched it, the skull was sat in the middle of us, the flashlights giving it a creepy look. Billy was studying my actions as we sat in silence, Aaron rewatching the footage and shaking his head.

“It just looks…so weird…like…I dunno dude.” He exhaled

“Well I certainly did _not_ purposely try and throw myself over the balcony.” I bitterly replied.

“We never said you _did_.” Billy said, his voice low and serious. “I can’t see any way you can continue this investigation, it’s a safety risk to yourself. Something here is messing with you Luna.”

“I _know_ that.” I muttered, glaring at the skull.

We fell into another silence, I didn’t know why we weren’t going to find Zak and Nick, something told me that Billy didn’t want me to freak out at him suggesting we go into the hospital.

“…how are you feeling?” Aaron asked.

“…tired. My arms ache from having to hold myself up…my head hurts.” I murmured in reply.

“I’m telling Zak to stop you investigating. This isn’t safe for you anymore.” Billy declared, standing up and making his way over to the staircase.

“Billy don’t-” I called, but he was gone. I knew Zak wouldn’t think twice once he found out what had happened, I knew he’d make me sit out for the rest of the night somewhere I couldn’t get hurt.

A bitter feeling started creeping up inside of me, I felt angry, as if Billy was about to betray me, that I should stop him.

I wasn’t sure how long I sat there thinking the same thing over and over again but Aaron snapped me out of it.

“You okay? You look like you’re about to murder someone.” He remarked.

“…no…” I mumbled. Maybe Billy was right, maybe it was becoming too dangerous for me to continue.

We heard raised voices from down below, then footsteps heading up the stairs, I drew my knees up to my chest and hugged them tightly as I waited to be told where I’d be going ‘for safety’. Zak was first up the staircase; followed by Nick and then Billy, he kneeled beside me and put a hand on my shoulder.

“Luna?” he whispered. “Are you okay?”

I didn’t reply, the bitter feeling rising up again.

“Luna…please…” he said, cupping my face in his hands and turning me to face him, his eyes were wide with fear and anxiety.

“…I’m fine.” I muttered.

He didn’t believe me. He shook his head. “No you’re not.”

“Then why did you ask me?” I muttered again, glaring at him. I saw him shrink back but his hands kept hold of my face gently.

“…sweetheart…” he whispered. “Luna we need to get you out of here.”

I turned away from him, stubbornness and bitterness prevailing over any rational thinking. Zak muttered things to Aaron and Billy who quickly departed without a word, leaving me with Zak and Nick in silence.

“Look.” Zak said, an air of his own stubborn nature in his voice. “I hate to say this, but it’s too dangerous for you here now.”

“Tell me something I don’t know Zak.” I said, slipping into a state of impassiveness without realising.

“Listen to me.” He snapped, taking my wrist and forcing me to stand. “I don’t know what god damn spirit is affecting you but it needs to get the hell out of here.”

Nick stood silently, arms folded, his camera was probably still recording but he wasn’t focusing on it, he simply watched this unfolding in front of him.

“…Luna…come back to me…” Zak said.

I pulled my wrist away from him and glared, my thoughts were blurry, all I could make sense of was the bitterness inside of me fighting against my rational thoughts.

Nick stepped forward and took me from Zak’s side, his grip on me firm, he held up his hand to Zak to gesture for him to step away. He sat me down on the stool that my camera had been placed earlier, he knelt down so he was eye-level with me.

“Luna, you need to get a hold of yourself. Whatever tried to push you over the balcony is now trying to take control of you.” He said calmly. “Fight it Luna, don’t let it win.”

Something inside me wavered.

“…I…” I uttered, feeling confused, the bitterness was fading but it wasn’t completely gone. “What…”

He nodded for me to continue but I couldn’t find the words, I shook my head, rubbing my hands over my face. I looked at Zak, he looked like I had slapped him, I felt guilty.

“…I…” I outstretched a hand to Zak, he looked at it before cautiously taking it and kneeling next to me. I flung my arms around his neck and fell against his chest, he slowly wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly.

“It’s okay…” he whispered, moving his arms so he could carry me when he stood up. “It’s okay.”

I sniffed, burying my face in his shirt’s collar, he murmured something to Nick before carrying me down the stairs and out of the chapel. Clearly nowhere on this island was safe for me to stay.


	7. Questions and Answers

 

**Questions and Answers**

The only seemingly ‘safe’ place on the island was the jetty apparently, so that was where I ended up; sat on the wooden structure jutting out from the land with Billy of all people. We were sat facing each other, not a single word uttering between us. It was apparently around two am so we had another four hours at least before it even started getting light around the island.

I remained confused about the entire incident that had occurred in the chapel, Billy wouldn’t talk about it, he said it was too dangerous to speak of it whilst we were still here. Jay’s presence appeared, apologising repeatedly for not being able to help me, for not stopping it when he had the chance. I told him it was okay, that no harm has come to me. Billy scoffed slightly. I ignored him. These next few hours were going to be long.

**~***~  
Zak’s P.O.V**

I was a mess. I was torn between calling Miguel; demanding to be fetched from this damn island and taking the fight to the spirits who had hurt Luna. Nick and Aaron were telling me repeatedly that showing that they had affected me would only encourage them further. I knew they were right, but I couldn’t just let them get away with it.

We were in the prison, we had elected to stay away from the hospital and the chapel due to the high energy levels, leaving only a few extra cameras to cover the areas. I never admit to being scared, backing down to the evil bastards doesn’t solve anything, they only get a kick out of it, but at the same time; part of what we do is knowing when it is wise to stay clear of them. This was one of those times.

“Okay then inmates.” I called walking down the long row of open cells. “I’m going to assume you understand English.”

Nick walked more or less beside me in the darkness, Aaron a few paces behind us, years of investigating meant my senses were adapted to the pitch blackness around us. Sure I didn’t have night vision but I could tell how close we were to the cells just by the echoes of our footsteps and the stagnant air we passed.

“Do you have any idea who or what attack our friend in the Chapel?” I asked.

There was no answer, I was expecting that. I stopped halfway down the rank of cells and cautiously made my way into one of them.

“Are you in here you coward?” I demanded. “Come on I want answers!”

“usare la mia energia.” Nick declared, stepping away from my side and towards the stairwell that would lead him up to the second row of cells above the ground floor ones. I reached the last cell and ducked into it, Aaron standing just outside the entrance with the camera.

“Are you in here?” I asked, slamming my fist against the solid wall of the cell. “Are you responsible for all the shit happening here?”

Silence. The only thing that followed the silence was the sound Nick’s steady footsteps ascending the stairs to the second row of cells and then his voice.

“Are you up here?” he asked calmly. “Do you want to talk to us?”

It was our way of trying to get a response; I’d provoke and shout at the spirits whilst Nick would take a more rational approach, it had proven a vital strategy in previous investigations. I smirked to myself, I enjoyed provoking spirits because I couldn’t stand them bullying others, be them living or dead, and my provoking them to take out their anger on me gave me a sense of satisfaction – that I had proven them weak when they cower away but shown them up for what they are when they reacted.

I stood in the cell in silence, waiting for any kind of response to either Nick’s or my own questions. I heard him walk along the iron walkway above me, pausing at each cell and probably peering into the darkness with only the night vision camera giving him any idea of what is in front of him.

“Is there anyone here?” he asked quietly.

“Come on you coward, answer him!” I added after a few moments of silence. “Make a noise!”

I returned to the open space outside the cells, Aaron sticking close to me and filming silently, he handed me an EMF detector which lit up an orange screen proclaiming the temperature as well as the energy fluctuations around us. As Nick continued making his way along the cells I slowly paced back and forth, watching the readings remain consistent, there were no traces of activity despite the weird feelings from earlier.

“usare la mia energia!” I demanded. “Do it!”

I heard a faint growl, it was so faint I thought I had imagined it but I heard Aaron mutter in shock beside me, validating that it wasn’t a factor of my imagination. I held up a finger to signal to Aaron to be quiet as I listened for Nick’s footsteps. When I heard nothing I whispered to Aaron; “Is Nick still on the walkway?”

“Nu-uh.” Aaron replied in a hushed tone.

“Nick?” I called up.

“Yeah?” he called back.

“Where are you?”

“In one of the cells.”

“Did you hear a growl a few seconds ago?”

A pause. “No…but it feels heavy up here.”

“Okay….” I sighed. “If you are here with us make another noise.”

We didn’t hear a response, I decided to break out the PX device and see if that was successful. I held it in front of me as I stood halfway down the row of cells.

“Use this device to talk to us. Pick out the words you want to use.” I commanded.

After a small pause the box whirled into life; “ **DEAD** ”

“Yes, you are dead.” I answered. “When did you die?”

Another pause. “ **PAST** ”

I was slightly confused by the response. “Uh..yeah…you died in the past.”

Before more silence could settle it spat out another word. “ **DOCTOR** ”

“The doctor? Did the doctor have something to do with your death?” Aaron asked, the air was beginning to feel heavy, Nick had returned to the walkway and stood in silence.

“ **DEAD** ” it said again.

“The doctor is dead?” I asked, “Are you the doctor?”

Silence. I walked over to the cell closest to me. “Are you in here?” I got no response. I decided to change tactics. “Okay, do you know who attacked our friend Luna? Do you know who was with her in the hospital?”

“ **ME** ”

My blood froze. “What did you do to her?” I asked, fighting to keep myself calm. “Were you trying to scare her?”

“ **YES** ”

I sighed heavily. It was taking every ounce of self-control to stop myself challenging them. “Why?”

“Dude did you hear that laugh?” Aaron asked suddenly. “Tell me you heard that.”

“No…where was it coming from?”

“Up by Nick.”

“I didn’t hear anything.” Nick replied in a dead-pan tone, it threw me off slightly as he’s normally on alert and never sounds bored like that.

“Was that you laughing?” I asked the darkness.

No reply. I decided to join Nick on the walkway with Aaron remaining on the ground floor, as I climbed the steps I felt the air get heavier and it became harder to breath, Nick was leaning against the rusty railing seemingly content with his surroundings which also threw me off slightly.

“Okay Nick?” I asked, he grunted in reply. I carried on instructing the spirit who had been communicating with us. “Are you up here in one of these cells?”

“ **NEVER** ” the PX device spat out. I looked at it in confusion. “ **RUN** ”

“Never run…” I repeated. “Run from what?”

“ **AWAY** ”

“Wait didn’t Luna run out of the hospital after her experience?” Aaron asked from below

“Yeah she did.” Nick answered bluntly. “I ran after her and found her vomiting into the grass.”

We then all heard a laugh that made my blood run cold, I heard Aaron mutter to himself as silence settled around us. My self-control was wavering slightly.

“Did you make her run?” I asked.

“ **FUN** ”

“You think it was funny?” I asked. “You thought it was fun to make her so scared that she was sick outside?” I could tell I was losing the battle with myself to keep calm.

It then started to get cold, really cold. I got Aaron to take the temperature of the walkway with the non-contact thermometer. “42.” He relayed. “About six Celsius.”

“Okay.” I murmured, letting silence fall amongst us, Nick hadn’t said anything or moved at all since we heard the laugh, it was worrying me slightly.

The silence continued, no-one asked anything, no-one moved, no words were spat out of the PX device. I was about to end the investigation as dawn would be approaching in the next hour or two when Nick started walking down the row of cells in silence, only his footsteps on the iron grating giving him away. I let him wander off, thinking he was going to stop and turn around, when he didn’t I called to him, there was no response.

“Aaron.” I hissed. “Where’s he gone?”

“…I don’t know…he’s not on the stretch of walkway, I guess he’s gone around the corner.” Aaron replied, I heard him walk off to look around the L-shaped bend in the cells, I followed Nick’s route, in pure darkness I couldn’t see where it turned off so I nearly fell over the railing when it sharply turned.

“Nick?” I called again. No response. Aaron wasn’t saying anything so I had no idea what was happening. “I’m turning on my flashlight.” I declared, turning to face the gangway and fumbling for the little black cylinder. I pressed the button to turn it on, white light bathed the row of cells in front of me.

“Dude…Nick is….I don’t even know.” Aaron muttered, I could see what he meant; Nick was just stood at the very end of the walkway where it met the brick wall, he was staring right at me totally emotionless, his camera dangling from his fingers precariously by the strap fastened around his wrist.

“Nick?” I asked cautiously, taking a slow step towards him. “Nick are you okay?”

He didn’t reply, he didn’t even wince as my flashlight beam shone in his eyes, I slowly made my way closer to him, the PX device was remaining quiet in my other hand until I asked a question.

“Are you affecting Nick?” I asked, pausing a few feet away from him.

“ **PROBLEM** ”

“Yes. I do have a problem with it.” I said firmly. “Leave him alone.”

“ **WHY** ”

 “Because you shouldn’t be picking on people.” I said, my eyes not leaving the impassive state my closest friend was in. “So leave.”

“ **YOU LEAVE** ”

A chill ran through me, my body felt numb all of a sudden, I broke eye contact with Nick as I spun around to try and figure out where the chill had come from. Suddenly I felt a firm hand on my shoulder, it was Nick, however he still had an impassive expression and it made me nervous.

“Nick?” I asked, trying to stay calm and focused. “Are you okay?”

He pulled on my shoulder so I turned to face him, something in his eyes made my stomach twist, it reminded me of his near possession at the Moon River’s Brewery many investigations ago, I didn’t like where this was going.

“A-Aaron…get up here..” I muttered, not moving an inch, Nick still had a hand on my shoulder and his grip was sure to leave a bruise at this rate.

“Okay Zak.” Aaron replied, seemingly oblivious to what was really happening. He started walking back around to the stairs, leaving me with Nick staring at me.

As soon as Aaron was out of earshot I went to prise Nick’s hand away from my shoulder. Nick’s response was to violently push me against the cell door, his eyes dark.

“Nick you have to fight it.” I stated. “Fight it Nick. It’s trying to control you. Don’t give in to it Nick.”

His head twitched slightly, as if he was trying to bat away a bug, his grip on me faltered enough for me to slip out of reach. The PX device kicked up again.

“ **LEAVE** ”

My flashlight flickered slightly, Aaron’s footsteps became louder as he rounded the corner.

“ **NOW** ”

This was getting too much, Nick was now peering over the railings, gripping the bars tightly. I didn’t want to know what was going on inside his head but I knew it was bad whatever it was.

“We’re not running from you!” I shouted, hearing Aaron gasp behind me in surprise at my outburst. “You’re the one who needs to leave!”

My flashlight died completely, plunging us all into darkness again. I didn’t say anything and neither did Aaron, silence fell between us. A few moments later Nick groaned slightly.

“W-what happened?” he asked, “Where are we?”

I slammed my flashlight against the railings, it started working again conveniently, Nick was looking at me with a bewildered expression on his face.

“We’re in the prison Nick.” I told him, beckoning for his camera. “We’re just about done.”

“Did something happen to me?” he asked, handing me the camera with a shaking hand.

“…uh…we’ll talk about it later. Right now we’re getting off this damn island.” I murmured, handing the camera to Aaron and placing a reassuring hand on Nick’s shoulder to lead him out the building with.

Just as we were leaving the prison Aaron paused and turned to me. “Did you hear that?”

“No…”

“Oh..nevermind then.” He shrugged and continued out the door, I was about to follow when I heard a faint voice;

“ _Bye-bye._ ”

**~***~**

We all met up on the jetty after packing down the equipment and were waiting for the boat when Aaron pulled a small bottle out of his vest. I knew exactly what to do with it. I called Nick and Luna to me and dabbed some on both their foreheads;

“Rid them of all evil spirits in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” I murmured. I did the same for myself and passed the bottle to Aaron and Billy. I knew we’d have to pay our Bishop friend a visit once we back in Vegas, there are just some things that had to be addressed and this was one of them.

Luna fell asleep almost instantly once we were in the hotel room, I didn’t blame her. I peeled off my dirty clothes and pulled her close to me under the sheets, she sighed softly and pressed herself closer to my chest. It was times like this that made me question whether bringing her along to these locations was a good idea or not.

I batted the thought away and let myself be pulled into a dreamless sleep.


	8. A hard pill to swallow

**A hard pill to swallow**

**(Luna’s P.O.V)**

We didn’t spend too long in Italy, only one night to get over the initial lockdown stress and then it was straight on a plane. No-one spoke of the investigation, I knew something had happened in the prison but I didn’t know _what._ The flight home was a brief rest bite from the awkward silences that kept falling between us, Zak was restless and wouldn’t actually say anything to do with what had happened, he kept asking how I was feeling and if I was tired or anything. I would just tell him to stop worrying, that the scabs on my hands and arms would heal over in time, naturally he wouldn’t listen and continue to fuss over me which, whilst it showed he cared for me and wanted me to know it, was getting annoying. So instead I started fussing over him.

“Are _you_ okay Zak?” I asked. We were on an overnight flight back and it was going to be a long one at that. “You keep asking if I’m fine but are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m good.” He said after a few moments, linking my fingers with his. “I’m a little concerned about you though.”

“I know. You’re not exactly subtle.” I remarked. “I’m fine Zak.”

“I didn’t sleep very well last night…” he confessed. “I kept waking up and thinking you were in danger.”

I pressed my lips to his cheek. “Well we’ll be back in Vegas soon…everything will be okay.”

The rest of the flight I spent sleeping, which was a wasted effort as the stress of getting through the immigration again made me feel tired again, thankfully Zak’s home wasn’t too far away. It was very tempting to just fall asleep on the couch with Gracie curled up next to me, I would’ve succeeded if the guys hadn’t disturbed me.

“Wake up sleepy-head.” Billy remarked, nudging me as he walked past. “It’s only noon.”

“I don’t care…” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes so much that I saw stars. “I’m tired…”

“So are we but we’re not falling asleep.” Aaron sighed.

“I said I don’t care…” I muttered.

“Sheesh someone’s in a bad mood.” Billy stated.

I buried my face in Gracie’s fur, trying to ignore the comments, my body felt drained. No surprise really after the night on Poveglia, Jay had been quiet since we got back and I could hardly feel his presence anymore. I didn’t know where Zak and Nick were but at this point I was too tired to really care.

**~***~**

I woke up in Zak’s bed, he wasn’t there but he had been; the bed was still warm and Gracie was asleep on the floor next to me. It was dark outside, I ran a hand through my hair, wincing slightly as I caught one of my healing scabs. Who would’ve thought that hanging from a balcony could cause so much damage?

As I made my way down to the lounge I heard Zak talking to someone, I pressed an ear to the door; curious to what he was saying in a hushed tone.

“We need to take them both to the Bishop. We can’t let them carry on after the events at Poveglia.” He murmured.

“I hear ya Zak.” Billy’s voice replied. “But when? Luna’s clearly staying here and Aaron’s got Nick back at his place.”

“I called the Bishop, I told him what happened, he is clearing his schedule tomorrow for us to take them both there. But we can’t tell them.”

“Why not?”

“Whatever could be attached to them, or _is_ in Luna’s case, can’t know what we’re doing. I know demonic entities are by no means stupid but I just think that if we don’t tell them then we might have the upper hand.”

I backed away from the door. A mixture of emotions rushed through me; first fear that they were organising an exorcism, then anger that they weren’t going to tell me, finally panic at what could be possibly so bad that I’d _need_ an exorcism. I thought I was fine, sure I was more irritable than usual and had been on edge more since the encounter with the elemental spirit at Leap Castle but I wasn’t exactly tearing the place apart…

The kitchen beckoned me, or rather; my empty stomach was complaining, I rummaged through the fridge and found some kind of food that wasn’t growing mould over it. I sat in the near darkness, the light from the hall letting a small amount of light in through the open archway, I could still hear Zak and Billy talking but their voices were muffled so I couldn’t tell what they were saying anymore.

A while later the lounge door opened and they both came out, as they passed the kitchen they spotted me and were a little confused to say the least.

“How long have you been up?” Billy asked as Zak sat on the stool next to me, he ran a hand gently down my back, I tensed slightly, I don’t quite know why.

“A while.” I replied quietly.

“You okay?” Zak asked, he had probably noticed me tense under his touch.

“Yeah…just tired.” I said, I wasn’t strictly lying, I was still tired, it was the easiest way to get him to stop worrying anyway.

“It is nearly midnight.” Billy sighed. “I better be going anyway.”

“Drive safe Bill.” Zak called as the front door shut quietly. We sat in the dim kitchen in silence, I stared at the worktop, drawing patterns with my finger on the surface.

“So you’re taking Nick and me to the Bishop tomorrow.” I stated, not looking at him.

“You weren’t meant to hear that…” he groaned, rubbing his eyes.

“I _know_.” I muttered.

“Luna please don’t be like that…I didn’t want to tell you so that whatever is attached to you won’t-”

“Won’t know, yeah that’s about right. Pity it knows now.” A bitter feeling, much like the one in the chapel on Poveglia, was building inside of me.

“Sweetheart…” Zak sighed, resting his hand on my shoulder. I tensed again. “Luna…please…don’t let it drive us apart.”

“I’m not.”

“Yeah you are.”

“No I’m _not_ Zak!” I suddenly spat, rising from the stool and backing away from him, he looked bewildered and a little hurt when I looked at him. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed deeply.

“Okay…okay…” he murmured. “I’m sorry.” He put his hands up to signal he surrendered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t going to tell you…please…just come to bed and get some sleep.”

I folded my arms across my chest, the bitterness wavered slightly. He took a cautious step towards me, I didn’t flinch away so he gently pulled me into his hold. I felt myself give way and relax against his sweet-smelling chest, I buried my face in his shirt and sighed. He lightly stroked my head and held me gently.

“Come on sweetheart...” he whispered, coaxing me to walk to the bedroom. “We need a goodnight’s sleep.”

“O-Okay.” I mumbled, feeling vulnerable all of a sudden as he held my hands tightly.

**~ The next day ~**

When I woke up I knew the day was going to be stressful, and that was even before I remembered what was happening. I rolled over and found only Gracie watching me intently, Zak was nowhere to be seen, I couldn’t hear the bathroom fan so he wasn’t in there. I stroked Gracie as she continued to watch me, almost as if Zak had given her strict orders to sit there until I woke up.

“... _so do you have any idea what’s gonna happen today?_ ” Jay whispered, I felt him lying next to me.

“No...no I don’t.” I murmured. “I don’t know what they’ve got in store really, I don’t know if you’ll be affected either...”

“ _I’ve never really considered what would happen to me if you got blessed or exorcised._ ” He mused “ _I mean when you had the holy water sprinkled on you at Poveglia I felt a slight resistance to you but...it wasn’t that strong to be honest._ ”

I nodded, scratching Gracie’s ear so that she put her head down and sighed. “I’m scared. I feel as if you’re part of me now, that things would seem empty without you here Jay...I don’t want you to go.”

“ _I don’t want to go either, I enjoy being with you Luna, you’ve let me see so much more than the halls of Preston Castle and I don’t want to leave now, not when there’s so much more I want to see of this world._ ”

I enjoyed listening to Jay talk like this; just like a live person who had dreams of exploring the world, discovering new things and meeting new people. It made me feel a little sad though that he couldn’t do all the things he wanted to do when he was alive so he relied on me to effectively take him with me everywhere I go, I couldn’t imagine my life without him now.

“Do you think it will hurt?” I asked.

“ _What? Being exorcised?_ ”

“Yeah...”

“ _I think if ‘it’ is demonic in nature then it’ll be uncomfortable to say the least...like something burning? I dunno, I may have accidentally dug into Zak’s memories once and found something like that..._ ”

“You did what?” I muttered.

“ _It was an accident! I’m sorry, and it was months ago anyway, I didn’t dig through too much he was just thinking about it and I overheard as such._ ”

I shook my head slightly, disregarding the fact that I had specifically told Jay to _not_ go through anyone’s memories as neither of us knew if anything bad would happen because of his curiosity, that and some things just shouldn’t be known.

“...what are they doing right now?” I asked quietly.

“ _I’m assuming you mean Zak and Billy, uh, I think they’re sat in the lounge waiting for something. Probably for you to get up actually._ ”

I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, I sighed, this day was only just beginning and already I was tired. After quickly getting dressed whilst under Gracie’s intense gaze I quietly made my way to the lounge, my stomach started twisting into a knot as I reached for the door handle, almost as if I was afraid to go in and face what was planned for today. I rubbed my forehead in an attempt to quell the darker thoughts brewing and sighed; there would be no backing out once I gave in.

“Mornin’.” I muttered, my hand still rubbing my head as I opened the door. Billy gave me a quick smile which faded as Zak rose from the couch.

“How are you feeling? And don’t sugar-coat it, I need to know.” He asked, taking my hand in his.

“Scared.” I answered almost instantly. “And..uh...vaguely sick.”

His strong gaze on my softened, he pressed his lips to my aching forehead. “It’ll be okay, don’t worry.”

“But...Zak...what about Jay?” I asked, “I don’t want him to leave.”

He closed his eyes briefly and brought my hand to his lips. “He might not have a choice...I’m sorry but I won’t be able to do anything, the bishop has a strict ritual to follow and we can’t alter it.”

I felt Jay’s hand on my shoulder. “ _Don’t worry about me, as long as that thing goes as well then I’m okay with leaving you._ ”

That didn’t help, I buried my face in Zak’s chest as I willed myself not to cry, today was not the day for tears. He wrapped his arms around me and held me silently, occasionally stroking my head and squeezing me a little tighter.

Billy cleared his throat and spoke up, “Uh, Aaron and Nick are leaving for the church...so...”

“I got it, you go start your car...we’ll be there in a minute.” Zak replied.

Once Billy had gone Zak pulled away from me and cupped my face in his hands; coaxing me to look him in the eyes. “Okay, when we get there I have no idea what the Bishop has planned exactly, ‘cause it’s not just you who’s being seen to.”

“Okay...”

“But I just want you to know that it’s going to be okay Luna, you’re going to get through this, it might cause you some pain, you might never wanna go to a haunted location ever again but that’s okay. I love you and I only want you to be safe and well, so screw the travel channel if they want you to appear next season; I’m putting you first and I always will.”

“...I love you too Zak...” I murmured.

He nodded and quickly bought my lips to his, he was desperate and needy but he had every right to be. He held on to me like I would float away if he let go, even when he broke away he kept a firm but soft hold on me, we didn’t move; we just stood there in his lounge not wanting to leave for what was undoubtly going to be one of the most intense days of our lives.


	9. Torn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best with this chapter, trying to research this kinda stuff is time-consuming and tiring - not that I don't like spending time on this fic - at the time I wanted something accurate yet simple to write. So here it is.

**Torn**

My heart pounded as we drew up outside the church, my hands started shaking, my breathing became erratic and my head ached like hell. I had to close my eyes and focus on staying calm before I could even step out onto the pavement, Zak’s worry was clear on his face, though he was making an attempt to hide it.

“Take as long as you need.” He whispered as I clung to him. “He understands that you’re scared.”

I nodded, sighing heavily. We walked up to the big wooden doors of the sacred building, my feet froze just as we came to the threshold of the door, I gritted my teeth and beat down the bitterness in me and the reluctance to go in. When we started walking down the aisle I saw Nick hunched over in the first pew...so he was going to be going through this too...

I was greeted by Bishop Long, he was friendly enough although there was an air of formality about him that made me nervous. He explained to me that what I was going to experience was not going to be a full out exorcism but it would still be uncomfortable on many levels, that I may come away as a different person, that my life will be affected greatly. I nodded, saying nothing in return.

“But what you need to remember is that God loves you, that he won’t allow you to be hurt in anyway.” He said, taking my hand in his, he slipped a rosary between my fingers. “Now take a seat and just try to stay calm, I need to see to Nick.”

I nodded again, clutching the beads in my hand as he slowly walked over to Nick, I sat down in one of the pews and took in my surroundings; the stained glass windows portraying different saints and martyrs of faith, the large lectern at the front where a crucifix hung the full height of the wall behind it, candles were lit all around the vast hall, their flames dancing as a light draft came from the front door. I ran the beads over my fingers; I wasn’t brought up a Catholic as such but I was still brought up a Christian, either way I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing with these beads.

Zak, Aaron and Billy were keeping their distance, probably at the Bishop’s request, I could sense that Zak was aching to be with me, comforting me, telling me it’ll be okay. However I was still trying to bat away the darker thoughts; my hands felt like they were burning and I dropped the rosary on the floor, I stared at it dumbly for a few moments trying to work out what had just happened.

“...w-why...” I whispered. “Why me?”

“ _You deserve it._ ” A voice said in my head, a voice that wasn’t Jay’s.

“N-No I don’t.” I muttered, reaching for the rosary again, my hand wouldn’t close around it for some reason, like there was a force field around it or something. “I don’t deserve this.”

“ _Yes you do._ ” It continued. “ _You’re cursed._ ”

“No I’m not. I am not cursed.” I whimpered, my thoughts were turning to mush and making no sense.

“ _Yes you are. You’re always the one to get attacked, you’re always the one who gets threatened, you’re cursed Luna. You always will be._ ”

I balled my hands into fists and slammed them into my knees. “No. No. No.”

“ _Yes. Don’t deny it. You know it’s true!_ ”

“No!” I screamed, my voice echoing around the church, I felt everyone staring, the voice was laughing now; an eerie low chuckle which filled my head and blocked out the world. I became aware of the Bishop placing a hand on my shoulder and saying some words from the bible, I wasn’t really paying attention to what he was saying but the voice faded gradually and my thoughts became clear again.

“Are you okay?” he asked when I sighed and relaxed.

“I-I...I...” I uttered, unsure of what to say. “...I’ve never heard it before...”

He made a sound that made me feel nervous. “Right...it’s not happy about being forced from you...as expected; it’s decided to try and root itself to you...what did it say?”

“I-It said I was cursed...that it was the reason why I was always targeted for attacks...” I murmured.

“Okay...” he whispered, he picked up the rosary and pocketed it, he then took off a golden disk that was hanging around his neck. “This is a blessed medallion, it’ll help until I’ve finished with Nick...just hang in there child.” He placed it around my neck and walked away again. I held the disk in my hand, it felt weird, not a burning sensation exactly but still a weird one.

**~***~**

**Zak’s P.O.V**

It was a nice change to be in a church, there was something calming about it. However what wasn’t nice was seeing Luna almost at her wits end and not being able to do anything about it. Nick was eerily calm as the Bishop blessed him and cleansed him, I hoped that was a good sign, Luna seemed to be battling with whatever had awoken since being in a church. It made my heart ache to see her in such discomfort and not being able to wrap my arms around her.

“So guys, um we’re in a church and due to some stuff that happened at our last location both Luna and Nick have to be um seen to by the Bishop...it’s rough...I mean we can’t do anything but stand here...and I just...I dunno...what do you think Zak?” Aaron rambled to his phone’s camera. I was a little annoyed that he was filming at a time like this but I wasn’t going to start causing a scene here.

“...it’s...hard.” I muttered, not really looking at the camera but more to Aaron and Billy. “Seeing two people I care about going through something like this...”

“Yeah...especially Luna.” Billy added. “She’s only seventeen and she’s been through so much...it’s kinda of admirable in a way but...I dunno...”

The Bishop came up to us almost silently, he was wearing his usual neutral expression so I had no idea whether the news was good or not.

“Well, Nick is okay, he’ll need some down time but he’ll be okay.” He said quietly.

“And Luna?” I asked, I couldn’t help myself, I just wanted to know what was happening to her.

“Ah...well the spirit seems to be digging its heels in...as you heard from her outburst earlier; she’s in conflict with it, it’s taunting her and wearing her out.”

“What are you gonna do?” Billy asked before I could.

“I’m not sure yet...” he sighed. “I doubt a full exorcism is needed though. It’s not possessing her, but I think a stronger blessing is in order.”

“Okay...” I murmured. “What do we have to do?”

“You can’t help me Zak.” He said. “I can’t have anyone else in the room, it might latch onto you.”

“So are you taking her to one of the back rooms then?” Billy asked.

“Yes. You can stay here but...it might be better if you don’t, I can’t predict what it’ll do when I try to get rid of it so I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

I nodded. “Okay...um...can I speak to her before you..um..”

“Sure, I need to get some stuff ready. Don’t tell her what I’m planning, just keep her calm and bring her to the door when I open it.” He replied, pointing to a small wooden door off to the side of the crucifix.

I nodded again and made my way over to her, she was silent when I sat next to her, she didn’t move or even look at me. I took her hand in mine and she seemed to snap out of it.

“Z-Zak...” she whispered, looking at me with her eyes pooling with fear.

“Hey sweetheart…” I murmured. “How are you doing?”

“I-I’m scared…it’s speaking…it’s getting personal with me…” she replied, squeezing my hand.

“It’s okay, it’ll be okay, the Bishop’s gonna help you darling. You need to stay strong though, if it knows that you’re scared of it then it won’t hold back.”

“I know…I just…I don’t want it here anymore.”

“That’s good, that means you’re fighting it, just keep telling it to get out. It does not belong with you Luna.”

The door opened on the far side of the room, the Bishop leaned out and nodded to me; it was time.

**~***~**

**Luna’s P.O.V**

Zak smiled at me and led me towards a small door on the other side of the room, he paused just as we reached it and gave me a tight hug. “It’ll be okay.” He whispered as he gestured for me to walk inside the room.

“You’re not coming?” I asked, confused and a little hurt.

“I-I can’t…he won’t let me…I’ll be here when it’s over…I promise.” He replied. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder which caused me to turn around; the Bishop gestured to a chair in the candlelit room. I looked back at Zak one last time before the door closed.

I felt vulnerable all of a sudden, I also felt frustrated as I sat on the chair. The room was relatively small; a crucifix hung on one wall, a picture of the virgin Mary on the opposite, several candles provided light, I could see that there was a vial of Holy water, a bible, a rosary and another book eerily similar to the one used in the Mackey’s investigation sat on a table.

“How do you feel Luna?” the Bishop asked as he stood in front of me.

“Um…scared.” I murmured. “Vulnerable.”

“Okay. I’m going to say the Lord’s prayer, I want you to say it with me.”

I nodded, my stomach twisted slightly.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

I did as I was told, my voice cracking and hitching slightly as I finished. The rosary was put into my hand, I grasped it for dear life as he lifted my chin up and brushed my hair out of my face. He then dipped his hand into the vial of holy water and drew a cross on my forehead. It was painful.

“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy ghost I command every spirit to leave, leave immediately and never return.” He said sternly as he placed a hand on my head.

I felt angry, I wanted him to leave me be, I could handle this by myself, it was just a spirit after all. I let out a quiet hiss as the beads in my hand became like fire.

“I command you to obey me," he raised his voice slightly, "You shall not be emboldened to harm in any way this creature of God.”

I saw red.

“Get your hand off me!” I spat before I could stop myself. He tightened his grip instead.

“Father, give me strength to banish this demon to the fiery pits of hell, save the pure soul inside who is being harmed.”

I wasn’t listening anymore, I dropped the beads on the floor as the burning sensation got too much. The Bishop kept saying things, determined to continue with whatever this was, I struggled against the pressure of both his hands on my shoulders now; holding me down.

“ _You’re weak, you’re pathetic, he can’t save you. No-one can. You’re mine. I own you._ ” The malicious voice continued. I couldn’t stop myself fighting against the Bishop’s hold on me or the foul language my mouth kept spitting at him.

“I command every unclean spirit to leave!”

“Screw you!” I screamed, everything started fading to black, I tried to beat back the anger but it was useless, it was too strong, too determined to fight it.

“ _Give up, you’re mine, you can’t win._ ” It taunted.

I felt another burning sensation as the rosary was forced back into my hand, along with a crucifix against my forehead. Everything went black.

**~***~**

**Zak’s P.O.V**

The sounds we could hear from the room they were in made my heart ache. Billy had a comforting arm around my shoulders, keeping me from running in there everytime I heard Luna scream or shout. Aaron had taken Nick back to his place already so we just sat there waiting for everything to turn out okay.

“Screw you!” she screamed, but it wasn’t _her_ , I could tell she’d never say that to anyone much less a Bishop. My fears were becoming reality; she was being controlled well and truly.

“It’ll be okay buddy.” Billy said, “She’ll be okay.”

“Will she though?” I asked. “I mean we dunno how she’s going to react to this…she might be a completely different person.”

“I doubt it. She wasn’t oppressed all the time, she still had that familiar ‘Luna’ character about her.”

“…I’m just so…scared for her…” I uttered.

“I know Zak, but we can’t really do anything except embrace whatever state she’s in and help her get back on her feet.”

“I guess…”

“Leave her. Leave her now. I command you to leave!” The Bishop shouted, the first time we had heard his voice since this started. An eerie silence fell afterwards, it was broken by a soft sob which quickly escalated to hysterical sobbing.

The door opened, the Bishop’s head popped out, he gave me a small nod and beckoned us into the room. The air felt heavy but eerily calm, she was led on the floor in the recovery position, sobbing, several marks were on her hands and forehead – they looked like burns.

“It got a little ugly. However I’m certain that she has been cleansed.” He solemnly said. “But Zak, I expect she will be unresponsive once she falls asleep, her body, mind and spirit all need to recover from these past few months of oppression. I do not know how long it will take.”

I nodded, not taking my eyes off her weak and fragile self, Billy pushed my arm gently; gesturing for me to kneel next to her. As I softly touched her arm she winced slightly and let out a small whimper which made my heart melt.

“Luna…” I whispered, taking her hand in mine.

“Z-Zak…” she whispered back, not opening her eyes. “Zak…”

“Shh…it’s okay sweetheart…” I murmured, gathering her up in my arms, she buried her face in my chest as she quietly sniffed and occasionally whimpered. Just as we were leaving the Bishop stopped me and said;

“If she doesn’t wake up after three days give me a call, also Billy has a vial of holy water should you need it.”

“Thank-you so much.” I said.

“Take care, God bless all of you.” He nodded, holding the door open for us.

I settled in the back seat of Billy’s car with her still holding onto me, she slipped in and out of sleep during the ride back to my place, I whispered sweet nothings to her as she whimpered slightly. As soon as we got back I put her to bed, making sure she had water and some food readily available should she need it, I then sat next to her on the bed and kissed her cheek; telling her how much she means to me as she finally drifted into sleep.


	10. The aftermath

**The aftermath**

**Zak’s P.O.V  
Day One**

I was at a loss at what to do. Nearly a full day had passed and she hadn’t woken up once, I was worried even with the Bishop saying it was completely normal for her to be this way. Billy had stayed with me though, probably to make sure I didn’t go crazy. He had been reviewing the audio we had recorded on Poveglia, apparently Aaron was looking at the video, I wasn’t in the mood to watch hours upon hours of footage or listen to static noise of the audio so I just sat with Luna’s unresponsive body; Gracie never leaving her side either.

“Zak.” Billy called. “Zak come listen to this.”

I sighed and tore myself away from her side to find out what Billy had found. He had made himself comfortable in the kitchen with the box of tapes stacked next to the laptop, I took the headphones from him.

“So where was this caught?” I asked.

“In the hospital, before Luna bolted.” He replied

I nodded and put the headphones to my ears, I nodded again to signal for him to start the recording.

_“Did you die here on this table?”_ Luna’s voice asked, confident and clear just like she had been taught to be.

_“…yes…_ ” a low raspy voice murmured a few moments later.

 “Okay, so there definitely was something there.” I sighed, Billy put a finger up to me to stop me talking.

“There’s more. Keep listening.” He whispered.

“ _Fare un rumore!”_ she demanded. Seconds later came what sounded like a hum from a refrigerator.

“Replay that hum.” I muttered. Billy nodded and selected the clip, putting it on a loop as it replayed.

_“…run…”_

I furrowed my eyebrows as I concentrated, it looped over and over again; the word becoming clearer each time. “It says ‘run’.” I declared.

“That’s what I thought.” He commented. “But I’m not sure if it’s a warning.”

My thoughts flashed to the PX responses Nick and I had gotten in the prison, the ones which had replied to my questions about Luna’s experience in the hospital. It would make sense in some way if it was a warning.

“Any more?” I asked, shaking those memories away.

“Not yet. I’m about to review the stuff from the chapel.” He replied. “Wanna help?”

“I…I don’t think that’s a good idea Bill. I mean what happened there and all…”

“Sure, okay. Just keep an ear out for me, if I find anything of interest I’ll call you.”

I nodded and gave him back the headphones. I was still at a loss at what to do about Luna, she was still asleep with Gracie guarding her when I made my way back into the bedroom. The room was quiet and felt empty, I wasn’t sure if this was a good sign or not, I was used to feeling Jay’s faint presence, even if he never really talked to me or anything he was always just _there_ with her and it was slightly comforting to know that he was watching over her. Now however there was no trace of him, not surprising really. It left an odd feeling in the air.

Gracie’s gaze flicked to me as I sat down next to Luna, she whined slightly and shuffled over to lean her muzzle on my knee, her eyes staring at me.

“I know girl…” I sighed, stroking her ear gently. “I’m worried too…” My heart ached as Luna remained almost silent; her slow breathing only letting out soft noises every few seconds. I eased my arms around her so I could hold her, to feel her pulse against my skin, to have her as close to me as possible in case she woke up scared. Even if I knew I was kidding myself with the thought that she’d wake up anytime soon, I hugged her a little tighter.

**~***~**

I woke up to Billy nudging me, it was dark but he had turned the bedside light on, it cast eerie shadows across the room. My first instinct was to look beside me at Luna, she was still asleep and had hardly moved at all.

“Dude…come on, you need to eat.” Billy whispered, nudging my shoulder again. “She’ll be okay.”

I looked at her again, with a sigh of defeat I slowly followed him out of the room and into the kitchen. He had ordered pizza and it lay on the countertop, I took a slice and half-heartedly ate it as he made a pot of coffee.

“Zak it’s only been a day.” He sighed. “You need to try and keep your strength up.”

“Huh?” I asked, not quite understanding what he was saying.

“You’ve done nothing all day.” He replied, his tone was soft, he wasn’t angry or frustrated, merely concerned. “She isn’t going to wake up yet. The Bishop said-”

“I _know_ what the Bishop said Bill.” I muttered, wiping the grease from the pizza off my hands onto my jeans. “But it still hurts…I love her dude…I just want her to be okay…” my voice cracked slightly as I broke off, words forming in my head but not on my lips.

“I get that Zak..” Billy murmured, he got two mugs from the cabinet and poured the freshly made coffee into them. “I know you care about her…but you need to take care of yourself dude. You and I both know that Luna will feel even guiltier about all of this if she finds out you’ve made yourself ill over her.”

He was making sense, he always does; he _is_ Billy after all. It still felt like my heart was being stabbed though.

“…but I can’t stop worrying…” I whispered as he pressed a warm mug into my hands.

“Then you need to distract yourself. Take Gracie for a walk, get to the gym, go grocery shopping. Do stuff that’ll get you out of the house.” He said. “I’ll call you the second anything happens.”

I stared into the mug, half-heartedly agreeing with him but thinking that I just wanted to be with her until she woke up. I knew I ought to get out for a while though and that if I didn’t then things would just get worse.

“I suppose so…” I murmured, lightly blowing the steam away as I took a drink. “I’ll head out with Gracie tomorrow morning for a jog…”

“Good…you’ll feel a little better afterwards.” Billy smiled. “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on her.”

“Thanks Bill.” I replied. “For everything.”

“What are friends for?” he remarked, draining his mug in seconds. “After all, we gotta stick together with our job.”

I nodded and pulled him into a light hug, careful not to spill my coffee. “I mean it though.”

“I know you do.”

“Good. Now what time is it?”

“About eleven.” He replied, pulling back. “I was just gonna head home quickly to get some stuff and then come back in time to make sure you ate breakfast.”

I laughed slightly, he sounded just like Luna when he said that. “Okay…I’ll just try and keep myself from falling asleep then.”

“Actually you probably ought to sleep, properly, not hanging precariously off her bed but in your own bed dude.”

I didn’t say anything, his tone was enough for me to know that it was more of an order than a recommendation. He grabbed his jacket and gave me a look that told me he was being serious before leaving quickly. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed slightly, I drank the rest of my coffee and decided to try and sleep.

**~***~  
Day Two**

It felt good to have been out in the fresh air, to feel the familiar burn of exercise and tightness in my chest as I finally became out of breath. I felt relaxed for the first time in ages. Gracie eagerly trotted beside me as I slowed my pace a little, my feet hitting the sidewalk in a steady rhythm. I had forgotten what time I set off but I had been gone a while now, part of me was paranoid that I had been gone for too long but at the same time it felt good to be away from it all.

I took the rest of the jog home at a slightly slower pace, still pushing myself to the limit but not as ruthlessly. When I walked into my kitchen and found Billy nearly falling asleep at the laptop I smirked, he raised an eyebrow at me.

“Feel better?” he asked, stifling a yawn.

“Yeah totally. Thanks for making me leave the house dude.” I replied, gulping down nearly half a bottle of water. “You look like you need some sleep.”

“I do.” He muttered, shutting the laptop lid down. “I wanted to make sure you got back okay.”

“Well here I am.” I remarked, filling Gracie’s food dish and presenting it to her. “So you can get some shut eye whilst I take a shower.”

He nodded and gave me a tired smile as he made for the couch in the lounge, I walked into the bathroom and started the steady spray of warm water, I stripped off my sweaty workout clothes and stepped under it. The soothing water trickled over my sore and tired body as I let out a sigh, it was then I realised just how much I depended on working out to clear my head from all these chaotic thoughts.

I dried off and pulled on some loose jeans and a crumpled shirt, when I walked past the open door to the bedroom I heard a slight mumble. I poked my head around the door; Luna had rolled over onto her stomach and the sheets were pulled tight around her.

“Luna?” I whispered, approaching quickly and brushing my hand against her cheek.

She didn’t reply, I blinked a few times, trying to work out if I had imagined what I had heard. After a few moments I shook it off as my imagination, something had unsettled me about this though so I decided to call Aaron to see if Nick had awoken yet.

“Yo dude.” I said as soon as I heard him answer.

“Hey Zak, how you doing?” he asked, his voice calm and relaxed.

“Not too bad I guess, you?”

“Been better but yeah the same.”

“How’s Nick?” I asked, pacing my hallway.

“He woke up about an hour ago but didn’t stay awake for long, he’s pretty out of it. I managed to get him to eat a little but yeah…I’m not expecting him to wake up until much later now. How’s Luna?”

I bit my lip slightly. “Um…she hasn’t woken up yet…” I muttered.

“Oh…um…well I’m sure she’s fine dude.” Aaron replied, I could hear the hesitation in his voice.

“That’s what Bill says.” I murmured. “I mean I agree but…it still worries me y’know?”

“Yeah, well you got another day before it becomes a problem right? So there shouldn’t be a reason to worry.”

I grunted in reply, poking my head back around the door to the bedroom, she hadn’t moved. “I thought I heard her mumble but I guess it was just my imagination.”

“I dunno Zak…She’s never had anything this extreme happen before – except her first investigation – so her body is probably completely out of whack and is chaotically trying to sort itself out.”

I nodded before remembering that this wasn’t a Skype call and that Aaron couldn’t see my reaction. “Yeah…yeah…I hear ya.”

“So take it easy dude, eat something. Billy told me about what you said last night, you need to make sure you’re prepared to help her get to grips with what’s happened, I mean we don’t know how much this thing screwed her mind…she’s going to need all of us but mostly _you_ Zak. The one she trusts and loves. You need to be ready so you better eat something dude.”

It appeared that Aaron had taken Billy’s role in his absence and in turn had started addressing me like a child, in a caring way at least, I wasn’t too bugged by it even if I didn’t like being babied.

“Yeah…I will…” I replied. “You take care too buddy.”

He laughed slightly and ended the call. My stomach growled, I sighed and decided that I was going to have to eat something decently filling. About an hour later I was sat eating a hastily made potato salad with Gracie at my feet, staring curiously at me.

“What’s up?” I asked. “You still hungry?”

She pawed at my leg slightly and looked back at her bowl, I sighed and poured more food into it without much thought. The day was slowly drawing on and it was becoming increasingly hard to not return to Luna’s bedside, it’s not that I didn’t want to be there it was just that every moment I spent with her and she didn’t wake up or move at all felt like an hour of my stomach being turned inside out.

I sighed again and ran a hand through my damp hair. I didn’t remember when I last felt this helpless. Whenever I usually felt down I’d think of Luna, however this time it would only make things worse. Gracie padded off down the hallway towards the bedroom, I needed to talk to Billy so I didn’t give in to the temptation. He was asleep on the couch, I almost didn’t have the heart to wake him up but with my heartache gnawing away at me I _needed_ someone to talk to.

“Mmph…Zak?” He muttered after I shook him gently.

“…um…hi.” I replied.

“What’s up?”

“I’m…I’m lonely.”

He rubbed his face with his hands and sat up. “So what do you wanna talk about then?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t know…anything. I just…”

“You miss her and you want to be with her, you want her to wake up so you can tell her how much she means to you…yeah I know Zak.”

“…mm…I just…” I uttered, blinking back tears. “I-I want her to wake up…so so badly.”

“If you need to cry dude then you should. Don’t bottle it up, it’s not like we’re filming or anything so just go for it.” He said calmly.

I nodded slightly, balling my hands into fists as one by one tears started trickling down my face. He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and squeezed slightly as a pitiful sob escaped my throat. A few minutes passed as I just quietly sobbed, Billy pulled me into a hug and patted my back slightly, I cried harder but hardly making a sound.

“You need sleep Zak.”

I nodded, rubbing my hands over my face, feeling the dampness of my skin. I pulled away from Billy and sniffed loudly. “Yeah…I probably do…I-I’m sorry about all of this Billy, you need to rest too.”

“Don’t be Zak. I’ll rest properly when she’s better, when you’re both better. But you need to sleep, you’ve eaten right?”

“Yeah…yeah I did.”

“Okay, bed, now.” He commanded, pointing towards the staircase. “Your _own_ bed upstairs not the guest room where she is.”

“…okay.”

“I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

I nodded and complied; slowly walking upstairs towards the half-furnished area of my house. I didn’t really care that the bed was covered in a weird plastic protective coating, it was soft and I was tired. I only wanted to wake up if I could hear her voice calling for me. 


	11. Relief

**Relief**

**Day Three**

“Zak….Zak get up.” Billy’s voice intruded my sleep, followed by an urgent shake to my arm.

“Eh?” I muttered.

“Luna’s waking up.”

My eyes flew open as realisation hit me, I scrambled off the bed and rushed downstairs to the guest room, Gracie was pawing at Luna’s arm and whining slightly; she looked up at me and yipped excitedly as I clambered over to the limb body of my girlfriend.

“Luna?” I asked, cupping her face. “Baby can you hear me?”

She stirred, leaning into my hand, her forehead creasing slightly.

“Sweetheart…it’s me; Zak.” I whispered, pressing my lips to her cheek.

“…Zak?” she barely whispered back.

“Yeah, yeah I’m here.” I held her hand in mine, it was cold but she squeezed back ever-so-slightly.

“Zak….” Her eyelids fluttered but didn’t open. I wasn’t sure what to do, I looked to Billy who shrugged his shoulders.

“Luna…” I murmured as I pressed another kiss to her cheek.

She squeezed my hand again, harder and mumbled slightly.

“Zak…”

Her eyes opened slowly, her beautiful blue eyes looking into mine, they were clouded with confusion slightly but they lit up when she saw me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down; capturing my lips with hers.

**Luna’s P.O.V**

Zak wouldn’t leave my side, even when Billy sighed loudly and told him I needed rest Zak just grunted and kissed my neck in reply. I was exhausted still but certainly wasn’t going to complain about having Zak’s undivided attention on me.

He had asked me several times if I remember anything, all I remembered was being coaxed into the church; the rest was a blur of screaming, taunting and violent visions. I didn’t tell him about the last part; he had been worrying for the past two days according to Billy and hadn’t been very productive.

Aaron and Nick paid a visit, Nick looked in a lot better shape than I did, apparently he had been awake more or less for the past day which probably explained it a little; he still looked tired though. I had been told to stay in bed because I nearly fainted when I got up so everyone spread out around the room just so Zak didn’t have to leave my side; he kept a protective arm around me, asking me if I needed anything, if I was okay and other such things. Billy rolled his eyes slightly but didn’t comment, he was probably sick to death of Zak’s worrying over the past few days and wanted to go home but was staying for Zak’s benefit.

“…I’m kinda tired…” I admitted after a while, it was mid-afternoon and I was feeling drained, Zak nodded and looked to Nick and Aaron who bid us goodbye and made for the door.

“Do you want me to go too?” he asked quietly once we were alone.

“No…stay with me…I know Billy’s gone already…I’d feel bad if I left you alone.” I whispered in reply.

“If that’s what you want then okay, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

I curled up against him and sighed, clutching his shirt as I let my eyes close. He stroked my head, gently tangling his fingers in my hair, he hummed slightly as he wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him. I felt his lips ghost over my skin like a breeze as he kissed my cheeks.

**~***~**

I woke up alone, it was dark outside, the room was silent.

“Zak?” I called sleepily, kicking the covers off of me.

He popped his head around the door and smiled. “Hey you’re awake, how are you feeling?”

“Uh…tired…” I replied.

He approached me slowly and leaned over to press a kiss to my forehead, I tilted my face upwards and caught his lips with mine. He pressed into me slightly as he eased himself onto the bed, settling so he could hold me in his arms.

“Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up.” He whispered.

“It’s okay…where were you?”

“Just seeing to Gracie, she was whining and wanted attention so I was out in the yard with her.”

“Fair enough…what time is it?”

“A little after ten…you hungry?”

I nodded, I got up shakily as he took my hand in his. My body felt weak and drained, I put it down to not eating for three days. Zak sat me down in the lounge and disappeared into the kitchen, Gracie padded in and jumped up onto the couch next to me, resting her head on my lap as she seemingly sighed. I absentmindedly stroked her head as I flicked through my phone, I considered calling Kate and updating her on my life but decided against it once I worked out the time difference – I didn’t think she be overly impressed at me calling her at six in the morning – I listened to Zak humming as he bustled around in the kitchen; my mind wandered to what life would be like if I moved in with him, would he always fuss over me? Probably, he has a habit of doing so, how long would it be before he went away and left me here alone? Surely he would be reluctant to take me to every location, especially after Poveglia.

“Alright, hope you like it.” He declared as he came back with a plate and a set of cutlery. “I just kinda scraped together what was available…heck I did my best.”

I took it from him after easing Gracie’s head off my lap and inspected the food; pre-cooked chicken with chopped vegetables on the side, a creamy salad dressing was drizzled over it all. I smiled as he sat next to me and gave me the knife and fork, I took a bite gingerly and felt his gaze on me as I savoured the taste.

“…well?” he asked quietly, barely above a whisper.

I smiled again and kissed his cheek. “It’s wonderful.” I replied, turning to take another bite.

“Good, I’ll need to go food shopping tomorrow, do you mind staying here on your own?”

“…I’ll be okay…I guess.” I replied, “Can’t I come with you?”

He hesitated slightly before answering. “Well…I mean you’re still pretty weak…no offence.”

“…it’s okay Zak…I know you’re cautious of my health…after what happened an’ all.” I sighed, continuing to eat between sentences. “But I’m getting pretty bored…y’know?”

He nodded and gently kissed my cheek. “I know…I just don’t want you fainting or something…I’d feel much better knowing you’re here…”

I smiled at him as I placed the empty plate on the coffee table. “Okay…I’ll stay here…”

“I’ll make it up to you…I promise.”

“Oh really?”

“I-Uh yeah.” He stuttered, blushing slightly.

“You’re on Zak.” I whispered into his ear, lightly catching his earlobe with my teeth. He shivered slightly as I kissed his neck and grazed the sensitive skin. I giggled, he stroked my thigh eventually gripping it and forcing me to straddle his lap; his breath warm on my neck as I pressed into him. I captured his lips and kissed him roughly, his hands gripping my waist as he moaned into my mouth.

“God I love it when you’re like this…” he sighed as I went back to kissing his neck

I giggled again and pressed my hips down onto his, making him moan in the process, nipping at his neck lightly. His hands moved to my ass and he pulled me close to him so that we were pressed fully against each other.

“…getting needy already?” I whispered, smirking as he moaned in reply, he gave in far too easily.

“…you know what gets me going Luna…” he whispered between moans.

“Yes…yes I do…” I replied.

He pushed me back slightly, looking into my eyes with a mixture of happiness and lust. “I love you…you know that right?”

“Yes…you tell me nearly everyday.” I replied, stroking his cheek. “Why?”

He smiled, “No reason…I just…I just wanted to make sure.”

His response somewhat concerned me. “…uh…okay.”

“Just with all that’s happened…I just wanted you to know that I love you with all my heart…and I’d do anything to keep you safe.”

“Zak…” I sighed. He had a tendency to repeat himself, especially with this topic, it’s not that I didn’t like him constantly reassuring me but after a while it became tiresome. “You repeat yourself way too much.”

“Oh…sorry…um..” he seemed lost for a moment before I felt the grip on my waist where his hands were placed tighten. His eyes portrayed a playfulness that I hadn’t seen for a while. I smiled back at him.

“You need to stop worrying and just…relax…” I said,

“Okay.” He laughed, gently throwing me onto the couch and proceeded to run his fingers up my sides, I giggled as he continued to tickle me, it got to the point where we were both laughing so much that we just led there in hysterics for what seemed like hours. Eventually we composed ourselves only to burst into laughter again.

I yawned and shuffled into his arms, he pressed his lips to my neck and sighed as we led on the couch, the night had well and truly begun; I could see the moon through the patio doors and the hazy clouds drifting through the dark sky.

“…it’s getting late…” I whispered as I watched the hands on the clock reached midnight.  “I’m kinda tired…”

“Yeah?” he mumbled, stifling a yawn as he sat up. I rolled onto my back and looked at his sleepy expression as he rubbed his eyes. He ran a hand through his untidy hair, his biceps flexing under his shirt sleeves, the little smirk that played on his lips as Gracie padded into the room and pawed at his leg.

“What does she want?” I asked as he ruffled her fur.

“Probably sleep, she knows when it’s time to hit the hay.” He replied, turning to look at me.

“Well what are we waiting for then?” I asked, slowly sitting up and resting my head on his shoulder.

He smiled, he hooked his arm under my knees and cradled my back in the other as he stood up, holding me close to him as he carried me to bed. I slipped out of my clothes whilst he was in the bathroom, he raised his eyebrows at me when he came out in just a pair of sweatpants and saw me led on the bed in my underwear.

“Wow…” he breathed. “I don’t get to see you like this very often…” he trailed his fingers up my thigh.

“I know…it’s quite warm this evening though.” I sighed as his fingers brushed over sensitive skin, he slowly eased onto the bed and pressed a gentle kiss to my shoulder.

“So you wanna sleep on top of the sheets?” he whispered, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me close to him.

“Yeah…if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course it is baby.” He replied, kissing my neck. “Of course it is.”

I sighed as I relaxed against his warm body, my fingers found his dogtags on the chain around his neck and I pressed my lips to them. Zak looked down at me and ran a finger gently over my hand as I grasped the thin silver.

“I never take them off.” He murmured. “They’re my most prized possession.”

My fingers then went to my own necklace that I seldom took off; the silver plated ‘Zak’ on a chain. “Same goes for this.” I remarked.

He smiled and squeezed me. “I’m glad you like it.” He purred. “Now I thought you wanted to sleep?”

“Yeah…” I sighed, settling myself against him, kissing his neck as I let my eyes slip shut. I felt him reach over and turn out the bedside light, he sighed lightly and wrapped his arms around me. Silence fell as I drifted to sleep.

 


	12. A sore point

**A sore point**

A few days passed, things began to return to normal or as normal as my life was. Zak was still protective of me and hardly left me alone but he was beginning to let loose a little as Billy kept feeding him pieces of evidence from Poveglia. I had listened to a few of the EVPs captured; including one from the chapel which told me to ‘get out’ whilst I was shuffling through crates in the belltower, one which we assumed was the same spirit laughing at me and claiming the skull I found belonged to it…

The more nerve-wracking evidence was the footage from the prison, I watched Nick descend into a possessive state and listened to the voices caught, the reactions to their questions sent shivers down my spine. They were mainly just growls and laughter but there was a patronising “ _Bye-bye_ ” just before the end of the recording, much like how their last investigation there ended…

“Well…Poveglia Island…” I sighed as I pushed the laptop away, Zak and Billy nodded at me and took the laptop away.

“We’re gonna start putting it together now for the episode…so we’ll be busy for a while.” Zak said, placing a hand on my thigh.

“Yeah okay.” I replied.

“Why don’t you and Nick take Gracie for a walk? You haven’t left the house really for the last few days and you both need the fresh air.” Billy suggested, handing the laptop to Aaron who left bound for the kitchen kitted out for editing the footage.

I looked to Nick who smiled and nodded, “Sure, we’ll go.” I remarked.

We got Gracie on her leash and promptly left the house, the sun was shining and the sky was more-or-less clear with the exception of the odd cloud or too. Nick and I took it in turns holding back the energetic dog as she scampered at the end of her rope, we laughed and talked about all sorts of things from life at Zak’s house to the oddly warm weather Vegas has been experiencing, the conversation then took a turn towards our differing experiences at the church;

“So what do you remember?” I asked, tugging Gracie away from a streetlight.

“Nothing too extreme…I mean it was dark, it kept eating away at me, but as soon as the bishop started blessing me it started to fade. I’m guessing the spirit wasn’t that strong otherwise it would’ve put up a fight I guess.” He explained. “I’ve had worse experiences.”

I nodded, handing the leash to him as we turned down another residential street. “I see…”

“What about you?”

“I…uh…” I uttered, I hadn’t told anyone about the reoccurring nightmare I had been having every night since visiting the church, I didn’t want to worry them and as no-one had asked me directly about it I hadn’t really thought about telling them. “Well the actual…blessing was…terrifying.”

“Uh-huh…” he replied. “Do you wanna sit and talk about it?”

“Yeah…yeah that might be easier.” I admitted. We walked a little further and came to a small park where other dog walkers were letting dogs off the leash to run free, we let Gracie off and she bounded away to join a border collie as we sat on a bench.

“So what happened?” Nick asked, shifting so he could look at me. “Take your time, don’t feel as if you have to tell me everything.”

I sighed heavily, images and voices replaying in my mind. “Well, whilst you were getting blessed the bishop gave me a rosary, at first it was okay I mean I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with it but it kinda helped ya’know?”

He nodded and gestured for me to continue. “But?”

“It started burning my hand…like as if it was on fire…” I rubbed my hands together and clenched them into fists. “Then it started speaking to me…I hadn’t heard it before…it said I deserved everything that was happening and that I’m cursed and I always will be.” I babbled, trying to get the words out as quickly as possible.

“Okay…okay calm down…” Nick said quietly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “…what else happened?”

“Well you were done so you got taken back to Aaron’s place, the bishop then wanted me alone in a small room…where…he said lots of things…I don’t even remember what he said…” I murmured. “It didn’t like it, it consumed me Nick…it took control of me and started…” I swallowed, trying to keep back tears as the memories came flooding back.

Nick pulled me closer to him and hugged me as I willed myself not to cry. “It’s okay…”

“I felt like I was going to be sick…like I was just going to vomit my guts up, I was so scared of what it was doing; how it was dragging my memories about to keep control over me. I relived things I didn’t want to relive.” I muttered. “It said I now belonged to it and that I couldn’t win…and…that’s all I remember…”

Nick was silent for a while, still an arm wrapped around me and holding me close to him. “…have you told Zak?”

I shook my head. “I…I didn’t want him to-”

“Worry.” Nick finished. “I understand…have you had any trouble sleeping at all?”

“…a little…there’s this nightmare that keeps happening, I haven’t managed to wake Zak up yet though thankfully.”

“What’s it about? If you don’t mind me asking.”

I smiled slightly before shaking my head. “Just past things catching up with me…nothing life-threatening…just bad memories…”

He nodded. “Okay…you should probably tell Zak…I mean sure he’ll worry but it’s better to be safe than sorry. It’s best if you try to be open with him, he only wants to help you through this because he loves you. You know that.”

“Yeah, yeah I do. But he just gets so caught up in it that I fear he leaves himself open to it too. I don’t want him to start having nightmares again because he’s leaving himself vulnerable to care for me. I can’t stand it when people put themselves on the line repeatedly for me.”

“…I see where you’re coming from. At the same time you’re gonna have to get used to it; Zak takes it pretty seriously when someone he loves gets affected like you did. I’ve seen it happen before and sure it’s not pretty when stuff goes wrong but it’s part of the job and it’s part of life. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

I nodded and pulled out of his hold. “Okay. I’ll tell him later.” I smiled at him, he smiled back and handed me Gracie’s leash.

“I suppose we better find that crazy dog then.” He sighed.

**~***~**

The evening slowly drew in, the guys finished putting together the Poveglia special episode and sent it to the Travel Channel to give it a once over and come back with feedback, until then it was just going to be some proper ‘down time’ since the investigation. Zak seemed a lot more relaxed once we were alone again, Gracie had fallen asleep in the hallway so we had the entire couch to ourselves for once.

“So, how are you feeling?” he asked, hugging me tightly as I lay in his arms.

With the conversation earlier with Nick still fresh in my mind I bit my lip slightly and sighed. “Um well…there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

I told him everything I told Nick, he listened and didn’t say anything, just holding me as I fought the words out. He smiled and kissed my forehead when I finished.

“It’s okay…it’s normal to have nightmares…and I’m touched that you don’t want me making myself vulnerable by trying to protect you. However I get nightmares anyway, not as severe as before but they still pop up, putting all my energy into caring for you doesn’t alter that.” He murmured. “Don’t worry Luna, things will get better, they’ll stop eventually.”

I nodded and kissed his cheek. “I hope so.”

“I promise they will.” He hummed, stroking my cheek. “Now, what do you wanna do this evening?”

“Anything good on tv?”

He reached for the tv remote and flicked through channels, he eventually stumbled across one of the more recent episodes of the show; one of the ones filmed in the UK the past summer.

“Oh boy…which location is this?” I asked.

“Looks like…either Leap castle or the other one we did… Berry Pomeroy Castle?”

It was revealed that it was indeed the Leap castle episode, we watched most of it until it reached the climax of the investigation; the elemental’s appearance. I buried my face in the crook of Zak’s neck and he shut the tv off.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah…I just…I don’t wanna see it…”

He stroked my head and hugged me. “It’s okay, do you wanna head to bed then?”

I nodded and let him lead me to the bedroom, we settled down with Gracie sprawled out on the sheets at the end of the bed, I couldn’t sleep though. Zak fell asleep pretty quickly next to me, his breath hot on my shoulder.

It was times like this that I missed Jay, I still hadn’t heard from him so I feared that he was gone forever, I felt empty without him, lonely, which was stupid as I had Zak next to me; holding me close to him as he slept. Somehow though this wasn’t enough; Jay had become almost like a twin brother, always around for support, advice, comfort…I missed him so much and would give anything to have him back. However I knew that if he was gone then I wasn’t going to be able to get him back…not safely anyway. 


	13. Simple living

**Simple living**

_“Luna, she’s gone. We don’t know where she is…have you heard from her?”_

_“No officer…I haven’t.”_

_“…well we’re still searching but I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”_

_“O-Okay…”_

**~*~**

I woke up in the middle of the night, it was dark still, Zak and Gracie were still asleep and it appeared that I hadn’t woken either of them up. My mind was a jumble of distorting images and voices so I decided to go and get a drink. Whilst I stood at the sink in the kitchen drawing water from the faucet in the dim light of the hallway, I rubbed my eyes until there were green and blue smudges in my sight, this was the third night in a row I had woken up in the middle of the night.

“Please…stop doing this…” I muttered to myself. “Remembering won’t bring her back.”

I heard a familiar panting coming from the hallway, I turned and saw Gracie staring at me, her tail between her legs and head cocked on one side. She whined slightly and slowly walked over to me, her claws clicking quietly on the tiles, she nudged my leg and I crouched down to her level to ruffle her fur. I was caught by surprise when she pushed through my hands and licked my neck, she whined again as I stroked her.

“…I guess you can tell then…” I murmured. “You can tell that something’s not right.”

I sighed into her fur and closed my eyes briefly, it was enough to make me feel drowsy again so I eased her away from me and stood up and went back to bed; Zak had barely moved so I shuffled back into his arms and sighed again before falling back to sleep.

**~***~**

Morning sunlight lit up the bedroom as I lazily rolled over, Zak grunted as I pressed against him, I fought back a giggle. He was still asleep with his hand thrown over his head on the pillow, his nose buried on his shoulder but the rest of his body turned towards me, his toned chest rose and fell with every heavy breath. I looked down the bed past his sweatpants that had slipped down a little, exposing his waistline, to find Gracie was long gone and only an indentation where she had slept at the end of the bed.

I looked back at Zak, my heart fluttered a little as I just gazed at him and felt his skin against mine. I was unsure of what time it was but I didn’t really care, it was nice to just watch him sleep and not have to worry about getting up to make appointments or get on the road straight away. He stirred slightly and slowly woke up with a grumble, he rubbed his eyes and yawned before shooting me a goofy smile and sniggered.

“Morning to you too.” I giggled, leaning over and kissing him gently, ignoring the slight morning-breath that both of us had.

“Sleep well?” he asked, running his fingers over my shoulder.

“…I guess…I woke up once but I fell asleep again pretty quickly.” I replied.

“Was it another nightmare?”

“No…not really.”

He gave me a sceptical look but smiled. “What do you say to getting some breakfast?”

I smiled back. “Yeah okay, I’m gonna shower first though.”

He nodded and kissed my cheek as he sat up. “Be quick though and don’t use all my hot water!”

I laughed as he left, I stretched out a little before slowly walking to the bathroom. The shower took a little longer than usual  just out of curiosity of what Zak’s reaction would be, I eventually got out nearly an hour after I went in and I had barely enough time to wrap a towel around myself before I felt him behind me – I hadn’t even heard the bathroom door open.

“…what did I tell you about using my hot water?” he growled in my ear as his hands ran over my waist.

I smirked to myself as I chose my words carefully. “Um…something about using it all up?”

He kissed my neck as he let one of his hands slip between the folds of my towel; his fingers slowly stroking the warm skin of my chest. I bit my lip as I held back a slight moan.

“Wrong, I said _don’t_ use it up…” he murmured, his other hand tightening its grip on my waist.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.” I replied, leaning back into his chest.

“Yeah I bet you didn’t…”

“I’m sure I can make it up to you.” I remarked, reaching behind me to the waistband of his jeans. “If you’ll let me…”

He let out a baited breath and pressed his lips into the crook of my neck. All of a sudden his hands left me and he stepped back.

“Not that it isn’t tempting…we have plans today.” He sighed, stroking my cheek as I turned around.

“Do we now?”

“Yes…get dressed, we’re going to the park with Gracie.” He smiled, running a hand down my back as he left me in the bathroom.

**~***~**

The sun was warm on my bare shoulders, a light breeze whistled through the trees surrounding the park. It wasn’t that crowded for such a peaceful day; hardly a cloud in the sky yet the park was near deserted, Zak said it was because the schools weren’t on vacation yet which was good enough for me.

I rolled over on the blanket which he had spread out on the grass, Gracie yipped excitedly as she chased around after a ball that Zak threw to her. After a while he stopped and she started rolling around next to me. I laughed as she squirmed around between Zak and I with her tongue lolling out of her open mouth.

“She’s got quite a character about her.” I giggled, Zak ruffled her fur and she sat up abruptly; pawing at his chest as she tried to lick his face.

“I know.” He replied. “Ah down girl!” he laughed as she got more playful;

“Come here Gracie!” I called, sitting up to welcome the excitable dog into my arms. Zak looked on as I hugged her whilst she wriggled around, he smiled and laid down; closing his eyes slowly and sighed. I managed to get Gracie calmed down enough so she lay down to take a snooze, I then rested my head on Zak’s stomach; flicking through messages on my phone as the sun kept us warm and the light breeze swirling around us, his hand moved to my waist, drawing circles as we led there in a comfortable silence.

It was everything I could ever ask for; just to be able to enjoy each other’s presence and not worry about anything else. It was also something we both needed after all the recent drama, we just needed time to relax and enjoy the simpler things in life. I sighed and gently threw my phone onto the blanket by Gracie, I turned over so I was facing Zak and ran my hand over his chest; he opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows, he gave me an endearing smile and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. His hand lingered on my cheek, I covered it with my own and stroked the rough skin that years of investigating derelict locations has produced.

“…I could stay here with you forever…” he murmured.

“I’m sure you could…” I replied, slowly closing my eyes and leaning into his hand. “I wouldn’t object either.”

He laughed quietly, deciding to sit up and draw me into his arms. I clasped his dogtags as I relaxed into his chest and settled myself on his lap, he pressed a light kiss to the corner of my mouth and linked our fingers together.

“I could get used to this.” He whispered.

“So could I…” I whispered back, pressing my lips to his gently. “I love you Zak.” I breathed.

“I love you too Luna.”

**~***~**

We remained in the park for a few hours, the day was slowly drawing to a close and Zak decided we should head home, we stopped off and picked up some groceries to replenish the supply at home and we had agreed to make dinner together.

“So we got everything?” I asked as I placed one of the bags of food on the kitchen counter.

“I think so.” He replied.

I smiled and unpacked the stuff we’d bought; diced chicken, peppers, mushrooms, rice and a stir-fry mixture. “Good, I assume you want to cook the chicken?”

“…if that’s what you’d prefer then yeah okay.” He smiled and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Can I trust you with sharp knives?”

I laughed and playfully slapped his shoulder. “Of course you can, now get a frying pan and get that chicken going.”

“Yes ma’am.” He remarked, reaching over me to get hold of what he needed, pressing us against the counter. “You can give me the orders and I’ll follow them.” He whispered in my ear.

I fought back the many responses I was thinking of and just smiled at him. “Time’s a wasting Zak. I’m hungry and you won’t like me when I’m hungry.”

He smirked and turned to the stove, I unpackaged the peppers and mushrooms; slicing and dicing them up as Zak started frying the pieces of chicken. The radio was put on and filled the kitchen with background noise as the aroma of spices from the mixture filled the room.

“The chicken’s nearly done.” Zak declared.

“Okay, I’ll just put the rice in the microwave, mix the peppers and mushrooms in with the chicken will you?” I replied, handing the bowl of prepared vegetables to him.

“Sure babe.”

I put the rice in the microwave and set about finding some plates for us to eat off of. A short while later we were sat down in the lounge eating the stir-fry we’d both made, facing each other on the couch as we ate with Gracie sat on the floor staring pleadingly at us. It was good, I had made stir-fry before at home but for some reason it tasted better than normal with Zak.

“Wow…this is better than I thought it would be.” He said, placing the empty plate on the coffee table. “We did a good job.”

I giggled, placing my own plate on top of his and crawling into his arms. “Good, I’m glad you liked it.”

“Well you made it so how couldn’t I?” he murmured, nuzzling my neck. Gracie was feeling unloved so she jumped on top of us and started licking my face playfully.

“Agh Gracie!” I squealed as she jumped off the couch. “I thought Ringo had a lot of energy…sheesh…” I sighed, wiping my cheek with the back of my hand.

“…yeah…” Zak replied, stroking my now moist cheek. He took a gentle hold of my chin and angled my face upwards before pressing his lips to mine, parting them slightly and slipping his tongue into my mouth. The taste of the spices still fresh as we continued, I eased my myself so I was straddling his lap and draped my arms over his shoulders as he pulled me closer to him.

“…what’s all this for?” I asked when I pulled away from him, a little breathless after a few minutes of continuous kissing.

“I can’t help myself sometimes…” he whispered, looking at me with apologetic eyes. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay…it’s okay.” I told him, stroking his cheek repeatedly. “Don’t apologise Zak.”

He gave me a nervous smile and brought our foreheads together. “I feel that I pressure you into it sometimes.”

“No…no you don’t.”

“But it feels like it though…”

“You don’t Zak, believe me; you don’t.”

“You sure? You can just say-”

“Shush Zak…” I whispered, placing a finger to his lips. “Don’t worry…come on, we need sleep.”

“But it’s only seven.”

“I know, but an early night will do us a world of good.”

He nodded and let me get off of him before standing up himself. I took him by the hand and led him into the bedroom quietly. We settled down in bed and I turned to face him as we led in the dim light.

“I’m so lucky to have you…” he sighed.

“I’m the luckiest girl alive Zak…I mean it. You’re amazing, I know there are a lot of girls out there who’d be jealous if they knew.”

“Yeah well that’s what careful editing is for; keeping personal stuff _personal_. Although that Aaron’s vlog from a while back didn’t help.”

“It’s fine. It’s worth it anyway.” I told him. “Now…sleep…we both could use it.”

He smiled and coaxed me into his arms, I felt him relax as he fell asleep. I lay awake for a while, listening to his slow breathing and his heartbeat, this was really something I could get used to; just being with him once and for all with no reason to leave.


	14. A wake-up call

**A wake-up call**

We were woken the next morning by Zak’s cell phone going off, he haphazardly reached for it and answered it groggily.

“What?”

“Hey Zak we just finished watching the Poveglia special.” A voice answered cheerily.

“Right.”

“It’s good, have you all recovered yet?”

He looked to me, I gave the phone the middle finger in response.

“We’re getting there. You kinda just woke me and my girlfriend up so she’s not happy.”

“Oh sorry dude, we’ll call back later if you want.”

Zak rolled his eyes. “You do that.” He cut them off and threw his phone onto the floor. “Goddamn producers.” He muttered, wrapping his arm around me.

“mmm…tis okay.” I mumbled, stroking his cheek. “We probably ought to get up soon anyway.”

“No…let’s just stay here…in bed where it’s nice and warm.” He whimpered, I sat up slightly as he nuzzled my neck, I ran my hand through his untidy hair, he sighed; letting his arms relax on either side of us.

The morning sun was shining through the thin curtains and onto the bed; I continued running my hand through his hair, he sighed or hummed each time which slightly reminded me of Ringo and in turn made me giggle slightly. My fingers then travelled down to his back, tracing the lines of his tattoo, I felt his body twitch as I reached ticklish spots but he didn’t make any protests so I continued for a while.

**~***~**

“Zak…it’s nearly eleven.” I sighed as I checked my phone. “Aren’t those producers gonna call again?”

“meh….I don’t wanna get up….” He mumbled.

“I know you don’t babe…but I want to have a shower and I can’t do that if you’re led on top of me.” I said, running my hands down his arms and linking out fingers together.

“…can I come in the shower with you?” he asked, looking up at me, his expression sleepy and rather adorable.

I smiled and felt myself blush. “Um…if you really want to…I won’t object…”

“Thanks…I mean…I only want to because I’ll probably fall asleep again if I don’t shower…and I don’t-”

“It’s fine Zak.” I laughed. “Now, why don’t you go feed Gracie and get some towels for us? I’ll get the shower going and then you can slip in with me.” I said, stroking his cheek.

“Sure okay…” he hummed, kissing my hand as he took it in his. “Won’t be long.”

He got out of bed and I heard Gracie bark in greeting to him as he entered the kitchen. I slipped out and walked into the bathroom to turn the shower on, stripping down to my underwear as I waited for the water to heat up. Before I knew it Zak was behind me holding my waist gently, I leaned back into his hold and realised he was only wearing his boxers.

“…hot enough yet?” he whispered, his thumbs rubbing against my lower back.

“Depends how hot you want it.” I replied, putting my hand under the light spray of water. “It’s lukewarm at the moment…”

“Good enough for me…” he turned me around and kissed my lips. “Come on.”

He then pulled me under the water, both of us still wearing our underwear, and kissed me again, harder, and closed the shower door; sealing us inside the small steamy space.

“What? You thought I’d waste this opportunity?” he asked with a smirk when I gave him a disbelieving look through the steam.

“I would’ve thought you’d at least let me strip the last of my clothes.” I replied.

“This was more fun.”

“Oh I’m sure it was.” I remarked, hooking my finger under the waistband of his boxers. “But I think we’d get a little cleaner if we actually attempted to wash ourselves.”

“…you’re such a spoil sport sometimes…” he growled softly, pushing me against the wall, water droplets tricked down his toned chest as he gave me a heated gaze “I wanna have a little fun…”

**~***~**

“You know Zak…the fact that I now have three hickeys on my neck isn’t going to go unnoticed…” I sighed, pulling a shirt over my head. “At least the other one won’t be seen…”

“As I said; they prove that you’re mine…” he purred, capturing my lips with his.

“…I think the guys _know_ that you’re mine by now Zak…” I replied, pushing him away playfully. “Speaking of which; when is that producer gonna call back?”

“I dunno.”

“Well I think it’s time we both ate something, it’s getting on a bit.”

“It’s barely one...” he grumbled jokingly. “Okay, what do you want to eat?” he smiled, taking my hand in his and giving it a squeeze.

We ended up ordering pizza, as we had done many times since I arrived in Vegas, because neither of us felt like cooking a proper meal. As we lay on the couch after stuffing ourselves full; Zak’s phone rang again, he lazily answered with a sigh.

“Yeah?”

“Zak hey, is now a good time to talk?” it was the producer again.

“Go for it, we just ate.” He replied, pulling me closer to his chest. “You’re going on speaker though.”

“O-Okay.” They sounded like they had been caught off guard. “Any particular reason why?”

“Anything you have to say to me about that episode you can say to her.”

A few seconds of muttering occurred before they sighed heavily. “Okay, well we think it’s great, you caught some awesome stuff dude. We really want you guys to start on the next season asap.”

I looked to Zak, he seemed conflicted about this situation. “Um what do you mean by asap?” he asked.

“Well...as soon as you guys are ready to go for it, we got a few ideas in mind and-”

“Woah woah woah...” Zak cut the voice off. “Hold your horses, I haven’t even asked the others, they might have plans or something so I can’t start making decisions on their behalf just yet.”

“That’s understandable Zak but the channel directors aren’t giving us a lot of time to organise this-”

“Nick got possessed and Luna nearly got thrown off a building. They’re both still recovering from their ordeals, I can’t just agree to start filming again without at least asking them first. I’ll call you when we’ve come to a decision.” With that he ended the call and sighed, pinching the skin between his eyes as his phone slipped from his hand into the crevices of the couch.

I took hold of his hand and placed it on my waist, I kissed his cheek and turned his face towards mine. “It’s okay.” I whispered. “They’re only doing their job...if they call again I’ll talk to them and lay it out for them.”

“Thank-you.” He whispered back.

“Don’t worry, we’ll call the others tomorrow and talk to them about it.” I kissed him softly and slowly. We lay there for a while in silence, it was peaceful and time seemed to stand still in that moment. I didn’t even notice it getting dark outside until Zak stirred from our embrace to turn the table-lamp on, a soft yellow glow filled the lounge and made the dungeon door even more noticeable with its black paint against the light-coloured walls.

Gracie padded into the room, I hadn’t seen her much today as we were too preoccupied, she pawed at the sliding door to the yard. We decided to let her out as we had kinda neglected her most of the day. She yipped excitedly as she found one of her balls in the plants and brought it inside to us, I looked to Zak who seemed determined to not move if he could help it. I rolled my eyes followed her lead to play with her outside in the fading light of the day, she really was an excitable dog and seemed to have a unlimited supply of energy.

It finally got too dark to be outside, I guessed it was around half eight so I coaxed Gracie inside where I found Zak on his laptop with a puzzled expression on his face. I sat next to him on the couch and took his hand in mine.

“Sup?” I asked, leaning my head on his shoulder, he was looking at an audio clip but not listening to it.

“...um...nothing.” he muttered, closing the lid of the laptop and placing it on the coffee table.

“Zak...I don’t believe that for one second.” I replied.

“It’s nothing to worry about.” He sighed, linking our fingers together. “Trust me.”

I raised an eyebrow at him to show I really didn’t believe that but I gave him the benefit of a doubt and let it go, kissing his cheek as he relaxed into the couch. Although it was barely half eight, I felt exhausted, I could tell that Zak was tired too but he was absentmindedly flicking through TV channels without saying anything. It slightly concerned me how quite he was being but I decided not to push it and just settled for watching him flick through the numerous channels.

**~***~**

_“We’ve come to the conclusion that she’s long gone. No-one’s seen her since the day she disappeared so we’ve decided to stop the search.”_

_“You can’t! She’s still out there, you’ve got to keep looking!”_

_“We’re sorry. We know this is hard but you have to accept that it’s been six months now.”_

_“But...she’s...you can’t just stop...”_

_“We’re sorry. We’ve done all we can. She’s gone.”_

**~***~**

I woke up in a cold sweat and breathing heavily, my heart was slamming in my chest, my arms shaking as I ran my hands over my face. It was dark outside still, the slight patter of the rain against the window pane filled the silence, I looked at Zak’s sleeping form, snoring slightly with his arm thrown over his head. The clock read half two, I blinked; trying to establish just what was happening to me.

How I wished Jay was here. Even if he didn’t know either, just his comforting presence would’ve helped me calm down. I felt a pang of guilt everytime I considered waking Zak up, I wasn’t sure what was going on with him either but I didn’t want to force him to tell me if he didn’t want to.

I needed to talk to someone though.

I reached for my phone and thought about calling Kate, after figuring out the time difference I thought better of it; nine am was too early for her to be up during the spring break. After scrolling through the contacts I settled for someone who would have some kind of understanding about this kind of thing.

“...hello?”

“Nick...I-I need...um...I...” I stuttered, suddenly unsure of how to word my problem.

“What’s wrong? Where’s Zak?” he asked, his voice was quite and dazed, I had clearly just woken him up.

“...asleep...I don’t want to wake him.” I replied, easing myself out of bed and walking into the hallway.

“Okay, well what’s up?” there was a slight tone in his voice that told me he was concerned.

I paused for a moment trying to organise my thoughts. “Remember how I said that the spirit that was attached to me started pulling my buried memories around whilst I was being blessed?”

“Yes...”

“Um...well the...there were some things that...uh...” I stumbled over my own words. “It reopened old wounds basically...and I can’t... rebury them.” My voice was shaking as I told him.

“The reoccurring nightmare?” he asked, his uncertainty clear in his voice.

“Yes. It keeps coming back when I'm asleep and I keep waking up like now and I just....I don’t want to wake Zak because he seemed a little off today but I needed to tell someone.” I babbled, leaning against the wall and closing my eyes, waiting for his reply.

He didn’t say anything for a few moments before sighing heavily. “Okay. Can you tell me what happened?”

My breath hitched in my throat. “N-No...”

He made a slight grunt of confusion. “...okay...well an you at least tell me if it was violent...or if you’re in any immediate danger?”

I swallowed. “Um...no...no I’m fine. I’m just not sleeping very well because of these...dreams. I...”

“Well, I suggest you try and get some more sleep. I want you to promise me you’ll tell Zak though, got it? I don’t want to seem like I don’t care but you should probably make him aware. I know you don’t like worrying him over this kinda of stuff but remember what happened last time...”

“Yeah...okay...”

“You promise? ‘cause if you don’t then I will Luna.”

I appreciated that Nick was always telling me to keep Zak in the loop, even if I didn’t like giving him things to worry over, it made me realise that I have a bad habit of letting paranoia get the better of me way too often.

“Yeah...I promise.” I mumbled.

“Get some sleep now.” He said.

“You too...sorry about waking you.”

“It’s okay, I’m used to it.” He sighed, a hint of laughter in his voice, it didn’t help the pang of guilt though.

**~***~**

I woke up before Zak later that morning, it was a more reasonable time – half ten – and Gracie was sat by the bedroom door patiently waiting for one or both of us to awaken. With the conversation with Nick still in mind, I got up and ushered her into the kitchen to feed her. The pile of dirty dishes was growing steadily so I decided to occupy myself with some household chores with Gracie’s company until Zak got up.

Soon enough I had the kitchen looking a damn sight cleaner, by the time he surfaced from the bedroom I had gotten dressed and scoffed at the hickeys on my neck when I caught sight of them in the bathroom mirror. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and yawned.

“How long have you been up?” he asked sleepily, pouring himself a glass of water.

“About two hours.” I said, looking at the clock which proclaimed that it was half twelve already.

“Oh...” he uttered. “...and you spent those two hours doing what?”

“Cleaning generally.” I replied. “The pile of dishes weren’t going to clean themselves.”

He laughed slightly. “Well thanks, I was going to do them before I got the guys round today. I decided it’ll be better to talk the new season over face-to-face.”

I remembered what Nick had said and decided it really would be for the best if I just got it done and over with.

“Speaking of talking things over...” I said, letting the sentence trail off. He gave me a quizzical look and took my hands in his after setting the glass down on the counter.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked, his expression soft and kind.

I told him what I told Nick, only with less stuttering, he nodded and squeezed my hands as I finished. I bit my lip as silence hung in the air, waiting for his reaction. He pulled me gently into his arms and held me, kissing my cheek softly.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me what happened, I respect your privacy.” He murmured.

“Thanks...” I whispered. “I’m sorry for...being such a burden.”

“Sweetheart...” he sighed, pulling back and holding my face in his hands. “You are _not_ a burden. Don’t think like that...please...we both know that what we do puts strains on each other but you will never be a burden to me.”

“Zak...”

“I mean it. If anything; you keep me sane, you’re the thing I work to protect. When malicious spirits tell me that there’s no reason to live or that no-one loves me; I think of you and remember that you’re the light in my darkness...I love you and nothing can ever change that.”

A tear rolled down my cheek, followed by another and another. I started crying softly, he pulled my lips to his and delicately kissed me, wiping away the tears that stained my cheeks when he pulled away.

“I love you too.” I whispered, smiling weakly. He rested his forehead against mine and stroked my back as we stood there in the kitchen in silence, enjoying the bittersweet embrace.


	15. Deeper sorrows

**Deeper sorrows**

The guys arrived later that afternoon; there were jokes, laughter and slight occasions of taunting as if we hadn’t seen each other for years. However after about half an hour of no real decision making taking place, Zak caught everyone’s attention by clearing his throat loudly.

“Um so I didn’t just invite you around to chat dudes.” He said. “We need to decide on something.”

“What is it?” Aaron asked, ruffling Gracie’s fur as she sat at his feet.

“They want us to start filming another season.” He said. “Now I’m psyched that they want us to keep going but they want it asap which means-”

“Leaving at the next opportunity.” Nick finished.

“Yeah...and I said that I needed to talk to you guys first given...the last investigation.”

“Well as long as we pick the location I’m cool with it.” Aaron replied.

“I’ve got some other stuff planned for the next few days so I won’t be able to come with, but I’d join up as soon as I can.” Billy added.

They looked to Nick, I focused on the flooring to avoid drawing the attention to my own thoughts.

“I agree with Aaron; we have to be allowed to pick, not them.” He answered finally after a few moments of silence.

“Luna?” Zak cautiously asked me. “What do you think?”

I opened my mouth but nothing came out, I clenched my hands together and swallowed before looking at him. “Nowhere that has any history of demonic activity.” I stated. “I mean it.”

He nodded, unclenching my hands and bringing them to his lips. “If that’s what you want then so be it.”

“…so where do we wanna head to?” Aaron asked. “Anywhere in particular?”

I shook my head, I didn’t care as long as there weren’t any malicious spirits there.

“I kinda wanna go back to the Shanghai tunnels.” Nick murmured. “I feel that there’s a real potential for evidence there.”

Zak nodded and instructed Billy to find the investigation report in the office so we could discuss it further, Aaron decided to take Gracie out as she hadn’t gone on a proper walk for a few days leaving Nick with Zak and I.

“How are you holding up Nick?” Zak asked.

“I’m good, little bit tired…kinda miss my family y’know.”

“I get you dude…”

“And now that this new season needs to be filmed…ugh…” he rubbed his eyes furiously.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay Nick, I’m sure they miss you too.” I said, turning to Zak. “Can we do a few lockdowns closer to his family? So he can stay home for a while whilst filming?”

Zak smiled weakly after a few moments of thought. “I think we can manage that.” He murmured, taking my other hand in his.

“Dude you don’t have to do that…” Nick protested.

“But you’re right Nick; you haven’t seen them for a while now, your wife’s probably worried sick about you and little Annabelle needs her daddy.” Zak replied. “I’m sure we can find some places near you and give you some time with them between shoots.”

He looked as if he was going to cry, maybe this was a deeper sorrow than he let on. I squeezed his shoulder slightly and smiled, he smiled back and excused himself from the room to call home.

When he was gone I felt Zak’s fingers delicately tracing my jawline, I turned to face him and was met with a soft kind gaze, like how he would look at Gracie when she was being adorable. I placed my hand on top of his and leaned into his hold.

“It was nice of you to suggest that we do a few lockdowns near Nick’s family, that he could spend some time with them between locations.” He said.

“Well we have each other right here…it just seemed cruel to deny him time with his loved ones.” I replied.

His smile grew, “I honestly don’t know how I’ve fallen in love with someone so amazing.” He whispered, drawing our faces closer together. “Or how she’s my girlfriend.” He continued.

“You’re not so bad yourself Zachary.” I remarked, catching his lips with mine and kissing him softly.

**~***~**

When Billy returned with the investigation report and Aaron with Gracie, we all gathered in the lounge again to further discuss a revisit to the Shanghai tunnels. The prospect of being able to perform this investigation in the day-time was attractive, we wouldn’t be just getting to sleep as the sun rises for a change. The previous lockdown had yielded little in the way of bad energy but still provided a good amount of evidence nonetheless.

Everyone seemed content with this plan so Zak excused himself to go and talk with the producers and get it scheduled for a few days’ time. Nick’s attitude seemed to have perked up, he was more at ease now and was letting Gracie pounce on the frayed ends of his shoelaces in an adorable fashion. Billy was walking Aaron through the setup of cameras from last time and debating moving them based on the activity they experienced, both of them with looks of concentration on their faces.

I simply sat back and absorbed the relaxing vibe of the room, I really couldn’t get over how pleasant it was to just be able to unwind for a few days, sure there had been a few events that were certainly not calm and collected but the positives outweighed the negatives by far in my mind.

We received the good news that the producers were more than happy we had come to an agreement; even allowing us to pick the locations for the season, for the first time in a while I felt as if investigating wasn’t going to end in me being traumatised by some activity.

The guys all left a few hours later to prepare to leave for Oregon in one or two days, Zak immediately embraced me in a hug and actually picked me up, I wrapped my legs around his waist and clung to him as he spun me around, burying his face in my neck. He stopped spinning and stood there holding me in silence, a smile spreading across his face.

“What?” I asked, adjusting my arms that were wrapped around his neck.

“Nothing, I just like looking at you.” He replied.

I giggled and hugged him tighter, hiding my flushed cheeks. He laughed and kissed my forehead as he sat us down on the couch, holding me against his warm chest. Gracie wriggled between us and licked my chin, desperate to be part of the embrace, I laughed and ruffled the fur around her neck as she buried her face between us.

Even though I hadn’t really done anything terribly exhausting that day I felt like I was barely keeping myself awake, Zak wasn’t helping by stroking my back slowly; making me feel even drowsier.

“Tired?” he whispered after we had been sat in silence for a while.

“Yeah…” I replied.

“Go to sleep then, I’ll wait you up in a while so we can eat.” He said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about me sweetheart.”

I stroked Gracie’s head, slowly allowing myself to drift asleep. Zak was silent, his fingers lightly brushing over my back, his chest rising and falling steadily. I could feel his heartbeat through his shirt and I placed my hand over it, it soothed me further still as I closed my eyes and sighed.

**~***~**

_“I want her back.”_

_“She’s been gone for a year now, just accept that she isn’t coming back.”_

_“You can’t expect me to do that!”_

_“And you assume we don’t miss her? You weren’t her only family.”_

_“Quit talking about her like she’s dead.”_

_“It would be foolish to think she were alive.”_

**~***~**

I startled myself awake. Zak jumped a mile when I bolted upright suddenly, Gracie too.

“What’s the matter?” he asked as I panted and ran my hands through my hair. The natural light was fading and was setting the room in an eerie light.

“I…uh…” I muttered, coming to terms with where I was and what had just happened.

“Sweetheart, you look like you’ve had the fright of your life…” he murmured, holding my face in his hands. “You’re shaking…what’s wrong?”

I blinked rapidly, taking several deep breaths before explaining. “Um…I had…bad memories coming back again.” I told him. “They just…startled me.”

He simply looked at me for a few moments as I remained flustered. “…when was the last time you spoke with Jay?”

“Jay? I…I haven’t heard from him since the blessing…” I murmured.

“Oh…” his eyes portrayed the worry that washed over him. “Well what are these memories?”

I bit my lip. “It’s nothing…nothing important.”

“Luna…”

“No…don’t worry about it.”

“If you’re losing sleep over them then I want you to tell me…please…” he said, bringing our foreheads together.

“…but…”

“Luna please…I can help you.”

I shook my head and pulled away. “No you can’t. Nothing can be done about it.”

He looked forlorn, his fingers traced my jawline gently as my gaze fell on Gracie’s almost concerned face, she looked at me with wide eyes and nuzzled my free hand.

“…maybe we should eat something…” he sighed, dropping the subject.

I nodded and made a small whimper in agreement. He slid me off of him and quietly made his way to the kitchen. I remained on the couch with Gracie, mentally cursing myself for not being able to tell him.

It’s not that I didn’t want to tell him, it’s that I know it won’t do anything to make it better. He can’t do anything about it, they’re memories that were locked away in my sub-conscience and that _thing_ brought them back, it took me a long time to bury them in the first place; many long nights crying myself to sleep and wishing it wasn’t real.

I had hoped that I wouldn’t have to say anything about it, not for a while anyway. I had a bad feeling about how going back to a haunted location might make me a more vulnerable target to the darker spirits. The thing that gave me a little bit of comfort was that the Shanghai tunnels didn’t appear to have a spectacularly high amount of bad energy associated with them so maybe I was safe for now.


	16. Dark pits

**Dark pits**

The city of Oregon drew up on us in the glow of dusk, I was enjoying the relaxed drive up from Vegas and I felt at ease as the radio droned on in the background. Zak was driving and Aaron was telling him a story from his childhood in Oregon, Nick was sat in the back with me and we hadn’t spoken much during this second day of travelling. The night we spent in Reno – to break up the sixteen-hour-long journey – was uneventful, we rolled into the hotel parking lot late at night and got up reasonably early the next day. Sitting in a van for eight hours either makes you very sleepy due to not actually doing anything or it makes you feel like a caged animal, I was wavering between the two.

“Restless?” Nick asked as I changed my seating position for the fourth time in the past ten minutes.

“A little.” I muttered.

He chuckled. “We’ll be at the hotel soon. I’m sure Zak can see to your restlessness.”

I raised my eyebrow at him, he had his shit-eating grin on again. I didn’t say anything in response and just went back to staring out the window at the approaching city.

**~***~**

It was dark by the time we got to the hotel we were staying in, we’d be investigating the next day and we were all tired from a near non-stop drive. Zak had gone to take a shower almost as soon as we finished dinner and left me with Nick and Aaron, it reminded me of back when I first started investigating and how we’d always end up mindlessly chatting the night away.

It’s not that things were out of the ordinary, it’s that things seemed almost normal. I could almost fool myself into thinking that I’d sleep soundly tonight.

Almost.

As the others got tired and the hours ticked by I concluded that sooner or later I’d have to sleep so I excused myself from their company and made my way to the room I’d be sharing with Zak. He was looking something over on his laptop when I came in, he looked up when he heard the door squeak close behind me.

“Alright?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I answered.

“The others going to their rooms now?”

“I guess, I was just getting tired…”

He cocked his head on one side as he looked at me standing a little away from him. I fidgeted with my hands, rubbing my palms together and casting my eyes around the room.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” he asked.

I looked up at him, my breath caught in my throat. I shook my head. He gestured for me to walk into his arms as he sat on the edge of the bed. I slowly walked into his arms and buried my face in the crook of his neck, I made no sound.

“…can you tell me?” he asked after a few moments of silence.

“…I don’t want to sleep…” I croaked.

“The dreams?”

I nodded. “I just want them to go away…”

“Luna, tell me. Please I don’t…I won’t think any less of you for anything you’ve done.”

“I didn’t do anything…” I muttered into his neck. “It wasn’t me…”

He fell silent, I think he sensed that I wasn’t going to say anything else on the matter when we sat there for what felt like an eternity in silence.

“Okay.” He sighed. “Okay.”

I felt my heart sink slightly as I heard the defeat in his voice. “I’m…sorry Zak…” I whispered.

“Don’t get like that baby.” He pleaded, taking my face in his hands. “Sure I want to know so I can try to help you but if you don’t want to tell me then I’m not going to try and force you to. But if this becomes a reoccurring problem then…I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“I want Jay back…” I whimpered. “I just want him back Zak…”

He gave me a weak smile and pulled me into a tight hug. “I know you do but I can’t bring him back, I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault.” I told him. “It’s no-one’s fault…I just hope he’s in a happier place now.”

“…I hope so too. Now come on, you should at least try to sleep…”

I pulled back and looked at him, he looked back at me and stroked my cheek. “I…I…I don’t want to.”

“I’ll be here. Just wake me if you need me, I don’t want you suffering in silence.”

Against my wishes, we settled down in bed, Zak’s arms wrapped protectively around me as the low glow of the bedside light. I made a noise that seemed like a whimper and Zak hugged me tighter.

“…it’s okay.” He whispered.

I nodded, burying my face in his shoulder and willing my eyes closed, willing for a dreamless sleep to come to me.

**~***~**

**Zak’s P.O.V**

“So she’s been having dreams?” Aaron asked, it was the next morning and I had left Luna sleeping in our room as she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. I had told Nick and Aaron about her dreams over breakfast and Nick confessed to knowing about these dreams already. I wasn’t overly upset or anything over her telling him over me, as long as she told someone I didn’t mind.

“Yeah. Apparently they’re replaying a chain of bad memories…she won’t say what exactly they are but she’s distraught about them. She was actually reluctant to go to sleep last night.” I replied.

“Yeah…she called me in the middle of the night a few days ago…she sounded like she was having a panic attack.” Nick added.

I rubbed the back of my neck as I tried to wrap my head around the new development. It pained me to be helpless in this situation, but I couldn’t just force her to tell me if she didn’t want to.

“What are we gonna do about it if they don’t go away?” Aaron asked. It was a valid point and I hadn’t really thought about the ‘what if’s.

“I…don’t know…” I murmured.

I gained sympathetic glances from both of them, we had experienced this problem before but not for a while. We collectively sighed and tried to move on with the prep for the investigation later on today. The van was mostly packed when I went to see if Luna was awake, she was up and dressed, looked well rested too for someone who was terrified of sleeping last night.

“Morning.”  She said as I came in.

“Hey darling, how are you feeling today?” I asked, hugging her from behind as she brushed her hair with the help of the mirror.

“…Alright I guess…ready to go for this investigation.” She replied, pausing and leaning into my hold.

“Good, this one should be relatively tame in comparison to others.” I murmured. “I mean obviously we can’t predict what’ll happen but based on previous activity I think it’ll be a pretty harmless lockdown.”

She sighed and turned into my embrace, burying her face in my shirt, I held her close to me as we stood there swaying slightly.

“Come on, the guys are waiting.” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She smiled at me, a genuine smile as opposed to the half-smiles she had been wearing recently, and kissed my lips gently.

“Let’s go hunt some ghosts then.” She declared.

**~***~**

**Luna’s P.O.V**

We pulled up outside of Hobo’s bar,  the metal doors down to the underground – and in turn the tunnels – were shut tight as we got out the van. I gave Zak a questioning look as we gathered outside the bar, he shrugged and knocked on the door of the bar, a bartender opened the door with a smile and introduced himself as Mark.

“Hey, you guys were here a year or so ago right?” he asked Zak and Nick. “Down in the tunnels?”

“Yeah, it was a crazy lockdown alright.” Zak replied, taking Mark’s extended hand and shaking it. “We’re back for more.”

“Good to hear they didn’t scare you off down there.” Mark laughed, shaking Nick and Aaron’s hands in turn. He got to me and gave me a smile. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Luna.” I answered, smiling and taking his hand, giving it a light shake. “I’m uh…Zak’s girlfriend.”

I saw Zak blush slightly, he fumbled about with his phone as a way of trying to hide it – and failed – and cleared his throat. “Uh…yeah so do you know where the guy who has the keys to the tunnels is?”

“No sorry, he said he’d be here when you guys got here but I guess he’s running late.” Mark replied. “But I could open it up for you if you want.”

“We’d appreciate it if you could dude.” Zak said.

“I can’t really show you around but I can let you in.”

“That’s fine Mark, we wouldn’t wanna trouble you anyway.”

Mark opened the large metal doors that led down to the dark winding tunnels, I nearly fell head-first down the steep wooden steps but Nick caught my hand and hung on to me whilst I found my footing again, no doubt that’ll make it onto the final cut of the episode as the cameras had been rolling for a few minutes now.

Once we were down there only the spot lights from the cameras were illuminating the area, it left a resonating feeling of isolation with me as we stood in a large room surrounded by spare boards and piles of bricks waiting for our guide. It reminded me a lot of the Edinburgh vaults and in turn the things that happened on that lockdown, I rubbed my shoulder as I remembered the marks left by one of the malevolent spirits.

“So how long do you think he’ll be?” Nick asked Zak as we stood there taking in the atmosphere of this alien world.

“…I guess within the hour?” Zak replied. “Soon though, we need to set up so if he doesn’t show then we’ll just have to go ahead and get on with it.”

We waited for a while, filming the introduction to the episode to keep us occupied but once we were done with that there was little else to do. Eventually Zak, after checking his phone for the hundredth time, declared that we should just start setting up the static cameras in preparation for the lockdown to begin within two hours.

There wasn’t really a plan for where to put the static cameras but the active portion of the tunnels where a lot of activity occurred last time was one point, the door that was creaking as if someone was pushing is was another, two more cameras were placed in the other portions of the tunnels, with some of the sets of wind-chimes in view to see if we could catch them moving by themselves, and the final one facing the steps up to the street to verify no-one else was entering the system whilst we were here.

The time came where we had all cameras in place throughout the tunnels and we had to be secured in, as our guide hadn’t shown up Mark agreed to lock us in and let us out at dusk. As I heard the padlock drop on top of the metal hatch and Zak telling the others to turn out the lights, I felt my arms break out in goosebumps, it unnerved me slightly. We were plunged into darkness before I had a chance to get my bearings and as a result; I was severely disorientated.

“Are we good to go then?” Nick asked.

“Yeah G.” Aaron replied from somewhere near me.

“Yup.” Zak added.

I didn’t say anything, I wasn’t ‘good’, I was far from it. I was lost in the darkness.

“Luna?” Zak asked when I hadn’t replied. “Darling where are you?”

“Um…” I murmured, I could tell they were literally right next to me but I felt so isolated and alone. “I’m here…I’m just…disorientated…”

I felt Zak take my hand in his. “It’s okay, I got you.”

I squeezed his hand and let him tug me to his side.

“Okay, so let’s just take a walk around and reacquaint ourselves with this place.” He ordered. “Don’t ask any questions, don’t say anything, just walk as quietly as possible and soak up the atmosphere.”

We fell into silence, or as silent as it could be with us making our way through the dusty tunnels, Zak had acquired a face mask but wasn’t wearing it, I could hear it brushing against his jeans as it hung from his belt. The darkness was still causing me to feel disorientated but Zak’s constant grasp of my hand kept me from going crazy.

Nick and Aaron spilt off from us and went down to a separate section to us, I guessed this was part of the investigation plan, whilst Zak led me to where the prostitutes used to ‘work’.

“You okay?” He asked, stopped and I felt him turn to me.

“Y-Yeah.” I murmured. “Um, I’m just a little thrown off by the sudden darkness that’s all.”

“Take the camera, I’ll do an evp session.” He whispered, placing the camera in my hands and closing my fingers around it, his hands lingering over mine for a few seconds before he let go and he shuffled away from me.

It was at this point, with the LCD screen being my eyes in the pitch darkness, that I realised that Zak’s height was hindering his ability to stand up straight, he was crouching for most of the time when he moved in the tunnel otherwise he’d be giving himself concussion. It made me giggle slightly as he reminded me of the hunchback of Notre Dame.

“What are you laughing at?” he asked as he turned to look at me, a slight smirk on his lips.

“I’ll tell you later, get back to uh…whatever you were doing…” I replied, fighting back a laugh. I could feel my body was beginning to get used to the darkness as it was before Poveglia, it was weird as before that investigation it was like my second home; the darkness, how one wild night can change it all.

He raised an eyebrow at me before shaking his head and sighing. “It’s called an EVP session and you know that.” I caught him smirking as he fumbled with the small device. “Okay, Luna and Zak in the prostitute area of the tunnels, and rolling.” He declared holding up the small box and going still.

We waited for a while, letting the noise settle around us before Zak started asking questions, there were no audible responses so we played it back and found nothing of immediate value. Zak handed me the recorder that was now recording a second session whilst he got the EMF reader out, it instantly started alarming, he froze and held the device out in front of him.

I watched through the LCD screen as the alarm resonated in the tunnel, it calmed down after a few seconds – which felt like minutes – leaving us once again in silence.

“Was that you making this device go off?” Zak called.

A sound caught my ear, I couldn’t describe what it was but I knew that it wasn’t a natural sound of the tunnel system. I turned towards where I thought it had come from; the camera focused in on one of the private areas where the prostitutes worked, I decided to approach and see if I could get a response.

“Did you say something?” I asked as I poked the camera past the drapes hanging at the end of the preserved bed. “We’re here to listen to you, communicate with us”

I heard a sharp hissing sound come from beside me, I was about to tell Zak so we could rewind the footage when he suddenly jerked away from where he had been stood near one of the other private areas.

“Something just grabbed my ass…” he muttered, confusion clear in his voice. I looked at him through the camera. “Was it you?” he asked me.

If we hadn’t of been in a haunted tunnel in pitch darkness I would’ve laughed and remarked about how he wanted it to be me, however we _were_ in a haunted tunnel so I was just as freaked out as he seemed to be.

“Uh…no…I was over here looking into this area.” I replied slowly. “…um…so…it wasn’t me.”

I couldn’t tell whether he was blushing or not as the night vision setting casted everything in a green light, it was highly likely that he was though.

“I did just ask them to communicate with us…and I thought I heard a hissing sound just before you reacted so I think we should rewind the camera footage and see if it was a voice.” I said after he stood there looking slightly spooked.

He nodded and approached me as I rewound the camera, unfortunately this meant we wouldn’t have anything to document visual evidence with for the next few minutes but Zak was now curious about this sound I had heard.

“ _Did you say something?_ ” I heard my own voice asking. “ _We’re here to listen to you, communicate with us._ ”

There were a few seconds of silence before the sharp hiss;

“ _hesmine._ ”

“What?” Zak asked, “Replay that.” I obeyed his command and replayed the few seconds of recording a further four times.

“It’s saying…’he’s mine’.” I concluded. “…someone’s a bit possessive.”

“…right…”

I gave the camera to him and proceeded to walk forwards slowly, my hand outstretched to catch the doorway I was looking for, when I found it I turned back towards Zak.

“So, you just declared that Zak was ‘yours’.” I said. “I’m afraid he belongs to someone else.”

I could almost hear Zak sighing, announcing our relationship via an EVP session wasn’t what he had in mind, however I didn’t specifically say just who he ‘belonged’ to so as far as anyone else knew I could be referring to Gracie.

“So do you have anything else to say?” I asked, waiting in the silent tunnel for an answer.

There was no response; the EMF meter didn’t alarm again, I heard nothing, Zak heard nothing and neither of us saw or felt anything.

“Well I think whatever was here is gone.” Zak murmured, walking towards me and taking my hand. “Come on, we’ll meet Aaron and Nick wherever they’ve gotten to.”

I nodded and squeezed his hand as he started walking back through the tunnels, he stopped harshly in one of the tighter passageways and turned around.

“…did you hear that?” he whispered.

“…no?” I replied uncertainly.

“The wind-chimes…” he explained. “I thought I heard them.”

We fell silent and stood absolutely still, I could feel my hand sweating in his grasp as we waited for another sign of activity. To say I was nervous was a little bit of an understatement.

“…I can’t hear them.” I breathed.

I spoke too soon; the faint jingle floated down the tunnel, so faint I hardly heard it at first. Zak squeezed my hand and pulled me to follow him along the tunnel towards the wind-chime in question.


	17. Vortex

**Vortex**

We couldn’t find the wind-chime that had spooked us, even when Zak walked up and down repeatedly trying to hear it again, everything had seemed to have halted. In the end Zak decided we should meet up with Nick and Aaron and discuss what we had heard, we found them nearby one of the jail cells doing an EVP session. When they had finished we told them about our experience in the other tunnel;

“You got groped?” Aaron asked, glee evident in his voice. “Aw man did you get it on camera?”

“No we didn’t Aaron…” Zak replied, stifling a laugh. “Anyway, we caught a voice a few seconds before…that happened.”

“And?” Nick asked.

“Listen for yourself.” Zak instructed, gesturing for me to hand the camera over. Once again I was blinded in the darkness as the camera was taken from me and the others rewound the recorded footage.

“Sounds like someone likes you Zak.” Nick remarked, he was probably smirking as he said that. “We haven’t really gotten anything, although saying that we thought we heard one of the wind-chimes going.”

“You did?” Zak asked. “We heard one too but couldn’t pinpoint where it was.”

There were a few seconds of silence, they were probably looking at each other and trying to decide what to do, meanwhile I stood there not saying anything; there was something amiss about this area but I wasn’t sure what it was.

“Okay then that’s decided.” Zak declared, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“What’s decided?” I asked.

“You and Nick are staying here whilst Aaron and I head back to the prostitute area, is that okay with you?”

“Yeah sure.”

The camera was handed back to me and I was granted vision again from the LCD screen. Zak gave me a reassuring squeeze on my shoulder as he and Aaron left us in the tunnel where the holding cells were.

Nick already had the EMF meter out monitoring the immediate area and several REM pods, there was little for us to actually set up so I chose to take a look inside one of the notorious jail cells and see what it was like. I ran my free hand over the rusted bars, little flecks of metal shavings attaching themselves to my hand, the floor was gravelly and small shards of glass winked at me in the LCD screen as I entered the small space. The walls were a combination of wood panelling and brickwork; both of which were worse for wear, it was an empty small room that served its purpose.

“So…how do you want to approach this?” I asked Nick as he watched me exploring each cell in the rank.

“I was thinking we should just sit and watch them, one of us with the camera and one without.” He replied. “Have a recorder rolling and just sit and see if anything happens of its own accord.”

I liked that idea, I made a small sound of agreement and left the last cell, we sat against the opposite wall so we were facing the cells. With a digital recorder between us and the camera in Nick’s hands; the only things I could see were the small red lights to indicate the REM pods were on, one placed to the side of each cell door and one at each end of the rank (eight in total), and the glowing display of the EMF meter sat directly across the tunnel from us.

We fell silent and the tunnel did too. Even the sounds of Zak and Aaron faded quickly as they travelled away from us so I was blind once more. My other senses starting to kick into overdrive to make up for it; I could hear Nick’s steady breathing beside me as he settled in for our stake-out, I could feel the stagnant air weighing down on us, the small hints of sweat as the humidity became apparent, the smell of dust and something rather mould-like too.

However there was this feeling still that something was off about this area, I shook it off as paranoia, this was my first investigation without Jay’s presence so I assumed it was just the void he had left with me.

The silence drew on, I looked up and down the rank half expecting something to occur, when nothing did I felt partly relieved but more paranoid in the long run.

“If there’s anyone here I want you to show yourself to us.” Nick declared out of the blue, if I hadn’t have heard him inhale beforehand I probably would’ve jumped a mile.

Seconds turned into minutes with no immediate reaction, I felt like I was on a tightrope – my skin crawling as the silence suffocated us – and I could feel my heart-rate increasing. I looked towards the last cell in the rank, the REM pods were quiet and the temperature was consistent according to the EMF meter.

“Were you imprisoned in one of these cells?” Nick asked. “Were you one of the people who were ‘shanghai-ed’?”

A low tone started emitting from one of the REM pods, a blue dot caught my eye from one of the middle cells directly in front of us, I froze and watched the light flicker along with the tone’s pitch. My heart slammed in my chest, I wasn’t sure why I was suddenly scared of anything and everything that happened when I had previously not been, I could sense Nick’s interest building as the pod continued reacting.

“Is that you making our device go off?” I asked, my voice shaking slightly. I felt Nick’s gaze on me; probably puzzled as to why my voice was shaking when it normally didn’t. “Can you make the light change colour?” the pods were programed to change colour depending on how close or how much energy it was picking up.

A few seconds when by where the pod went quiet but it rapidly rattled through the different stages until it was lit up like a Christmas tree; all four colours piercing through the darkness and the beeping becoming insane.

“Please tell me you’re getting this on camera…” I muttered, my eyes fixed on the lights.

“Yes.” Nick replied immediately. “Who’s making those lights appear? Speak to us!”

The pod fell silent. The ringing remained in my ears as the tunnel descended into the eerie silence. I felt compelled to walk into the jail cell and see if there was anything going on, I half-muttered to Nick to tag my movements on the digital recorder before shifting off the floor.

When I stood up my legs were shaking, part of me questioned my own judgement as I was now only able to tell where I was going by the small red lights of the inactive pods on the floor indicating the spaces where the jail cells were. Nevertheless I urged myself to walk to the previously active pod outside the cell.

The air felt colder inside the small confined space, it also felt heavier on my shoulders and made it slightly harder to breathe. I blinked rapidly as I felt the effects of the laborious task of breathing take its toll on me and tried to steady myself against the rough wall.

“Are you okay?” I heard Nick ask, I could only imagine what this looked like on camera.

“Y-Yeah, just a little…little hard to breathe in here.” I replied. I heard him move on the floor outside and then his footsteps approaching.

“What do you mean?”

“The air is heavier in here.” I murmured, clutching my head. “And it feels odd, I can’t breathe that well.”

“Maybe you should come out then…take a few minutes to recover?” he suggested, the concern in his voice was clear.

“No…something’s here…I can feel it.” I replied, waving my hand dismissively at him. “Who’s here with me? Were you a victim?”

I knew he wouldn’t be impressed, he was far too much like Zak in that respect, but unlike Zak he wasn’t going to stand by and let me stay there.

“No, you’re coming out.” He said, taking my wrist gently. Nick wasn’t one to bite his tongue in favour of my perception of him; if he thought I was doing something stupid then he was going to say it.

“Nick-”

“No Luna, out.” He sternly said.

Just then the pod outside the cell started going crazy, the one by the neighbouring cell started acting up too. I froze, Nick let go and turned quickly to poke the camera out to look up and down the corridor.

“Who’s there?” he asked. “Show yourself.”

I backed into the corner of the cell, fear gripping me. I heard harsh whispers in the space between Nick and I, but I didn’t say anything in response.

“What was that?” Nick asked. “Did you hear those whispers?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“…are you okay?”

“…not really.”

I felt his comforting pull on me, maybe it was time to get out of the cell now. When we stood at the opposite wall once more all the fear within me ceased, I was still paranoid and skittish but the apprehension had gone. The pods had stopped reacting and fell silent again.

“…that was…weird.” Nick sighed.

“I think…I think there was something in that cell.” I choked out. “Spirit of a prisoner maybe?”

“How so?”

“I felt scared Nick. Scared when you took hold of my wrist and tried to pull me out, like a prisoner would be scared when his capturers came to get him. I backed into the corner in an effort to get away…like a prisoner would..”

He was quiet for a few seconds, mulling over in his mind what I had said. “That’s plausible.”

“Did we get those whispers on audio?”

A flashlight went on as Nick fumbled with the digital recorder, he rewound it and played it back;

“ _Who’s there_?” Nick asked. “ _Show yourself_.”

“ _Iwasbea-_ ”

He rewound it again and played the harsh whisper.

“ _Iwasbeat-_ ”

“Hmm…I think that’s one for Billy to run through the computer.” I commented.

“Yeah…It sounds like ‘I was’ and then something else.” Nick replied.

We sat back and waited to see if anything else happened, my head hurt slightly, a dizziness was washing over me; wave after wave and I’m pretty sure the room would’ve been spinning if I had actually been able to see.

“…you sound breathless Luna.” Nick remarked. “You okay?”

“No…I feel dizzy.” I muttered. “…I’m…light-headed.”

“Okay. Let’s get you out of here then.” He declared, standing up, “Just give me a sec to get a spare static camera set up down here.”

“Hurry back.” I mumbled, taking the camera from him as he walked back towards the base near the stairway to the surface, the LCD screen was distorting slightly and not helping at all with my dizziness.

To top it all off one of the pods started reacting to something; the one furthest away at the end of the rank. It gradually went through the different stages until the energy seemed to be circling it, it then faded only for the next pod to start reacting. This continued down the rank until the energy seemed to be right on front of me, I had tracked the energy with the camera and not said a word as it had travelled towards me

The lights and sounds stabilised to one continuous beep and the light remained a consistent red – what I assume to be the highest level.

I felt like something was watching me. My skin broke out in goosebumps, first my arms and then my neck until all the hairs stood on end, I remained silent throughout this out of fear and the fact my head was aching like crazy.

Maybe I was the next Harry Potter; whenever a spirit is near my head starts to ache.

That thought was quickly abandoned as I heard Nick’s footsteps, or at least I hoped they were Nick’s. The pod remained as it was; evidently the spirit either didn’t care that Nick was on his way or didn’t realise. The camera started losing the picture on the screen, it kept jumping and freezing, I became so engrossed in watching it that I start getting tunnel vision but I ignored it as the picture kept jumping.

The screen froze and what I saw made my entire body freeze in fear. A set of legs between the two pods, partly obscuring the second, jet black – almost dark matter – but slightly distorted. My head bolted up, my eyes searching the darkness for any clue of what was happening, the second pod, the one that had been partly obscured, start going crazy. My eyes flashed back to the screen it was jumping between frames but still recording.

It was then I realised that the room had gotten cold, I also realised that this spirit was – or rather had been – standing in the doorway of the cell I had gone into a while ago. The screen froze again, this time there was nothing, the pods stopped reacting and fell silent.

I heard my own erratic breathing in the void of activity. Nick eventually appeared, his flashlight washing over everything and proving that there was nothing standing in front of me. He must’ve noticed my spooked behaviour as he put a hand on my shoulder and made me face him.

“What happened?”

I babbled out everything that had taken place in the five minutes he had been away, he said nothing and just went about setting up the camera whilst I tried to compose myself. When he had finished he took the camera from me and gave me his flashlight so we could find our way back to base.

**~***~**

Once Nick reviewed the footage he called Zak and Aaron on the two-way radio, something I didn’t even realise we had this investigation, his exact words were; “She’s done it again guys. We got some killer evidence.”

If my head wasn’t still hurting then I would’ve made some kind of sarcastic remark about me being the next Aaron but instead I found some painkillers in the first aid kit and drank a lot of water whilst we waited for them to get to us.

This was one of those moments when I wished I had Jay with me to make sense of everything.


	18. Of noises and feelings

**Of noises and feelings**

To say Zak and Aaron were shocked at just what the camera had managed to capture was an understatement; Zak went into his over-protective state and started asking if I was okay and if I needed to take a break to which  I replied with telling him that I was already taken care off and to stop worrying. Aaron replayed the footage with Nick and they started debating how to go about trying to capture it again.

Eventually the plan of action became apparent; Nick and Zak would go to the jail cells and try to either debunk or recapture the partial apparition whilst Aaron and I would go to the area that they had captured the rattling door last time they were here.

We split off from them; armed with fully charged equipment and an almost clear head, painkillers were very effective,  and made our way through the maze of tunnels that was the second level of the system. With Zak and Nick a good distance away from us we were fairly confident that we wouldn’t get any contamination from their investigating so when we both heard a loud moan from the direction we were heading Aaron looked at me with the familiar disbelieving expression.

“Did you hear that?” he whispered.

“Yes.” I replied. “That was loud.”

“…who’s down here?” he called down the tunnel. “Do you need help?”

We got no response, we pushed on further towards a slightly more furnished section, I guessed it was some of the bigger cells for holding prisoners, it was also where the infamous rattling door and bad energy was experienced.

Once in the area I placed the camera down on a chair so we could both pace the room and get a feel for what was going on. Aaron placed an EMF meter in the middle of the room and sighed heavily.

“Alright, I want you spirits to listen to me. Last time we were here there was some crazy energy in this area and now I want you to demonstrate it again for us.”

No immediate response was heard, I had made my way over to the door and placed my hand on it, the door would require a lot of force to push it open and there didn’t appear to be any drafts coming through it, nevertheless we positioned a piece of paper over the top of the doorframe – the only part of the door that could have a draft coming through – and set another static camera up to monitor it.

“Show yourself to us.” I demanded. “Make your presence known to us.”

I returned to the handheld camera on the chair so I could see what was going on, Aaron was sat on a stool near the EMF meter in silence he kept looking behind him towards the door as if he could feel someone there.

“Luna where are you?” he asked, blind in the darkness.

“Near the entrance to the tunnels…in front of you in other words.” I replied.

“Oh okay, is there something behind me?”

“…not that I can see.”

“I keep feeling like someone is stood right behind me.” He waved his arm behind him to demonstrate his point. “It’s got me feeling goosebumps…”

I walked behind him, the area felt a little colder but I wasn’t sure. I asked for the EMF meter so that I could tell what the temperature was; the current ambient temperature was around 57 Fahrenheit in the centre of the room but when I walked behind Aaron it dropped harshly to 41.

“It’s colder. A lot colder.” I murmured, continuing to pace the area and monitor the slight fluctuations. “…is there someone here behind Aaron?” I asked.

The air began to feel heavy, there was a feeling of static energy was also in the air, the alarm sounded briefly until disappearing completely.

“What was that?” Aaron asked.

“The thing picked up a faint EMF reading.” I replied. “0.4”

We fell into a silence again. I paced quietly holding the meter out in front of me in an effort to capture another spike. Sure enough there was one a few moments later.

“0.9” I declared. “Something’s here.” I paused and moved the EMF around to try and see if there was a shape to the spike, when I found none I continued pacing the small area. The spikes seemed to occur at random and none of them went over a one on the scale.

“0.7. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern here Aaron.” I murmured.

“Are you walking around right now? Is that what our device is picking up on?” he asked.

A rattling caught both our attentions, I panned the camera to face the notorious door, I didn’t catch it moving so much of an inch.

“Was that you rattling the door?” I asked, keeping the camera trained on the door.

Silence fell. I gave the EMF meter back to Aaron and proceeded to lean against the wall and just observe the room.

As far as voices or any kind of audible evidence we were drawing a blank, all we had really were a few spikes of energy that couldn’t be explained, we had no visual or audio to show for it other than potentially a rattling door. I wondered how long we had been sat in the darkness in silence when the door rattled again, because I had the camera on it I could tell that the wood seemed to have been pushed from the otherside slightly. It was such a slight change that I hardly noticed it, that and I had begun to experience tunnel vision again from staring at the screen for so long.

“…I think I may have caught that on camera Aaron.” I murmured.

He jumped out of his seat and took the camera from me, rewinding it and watching the footage. “…wow…it’s so slight…good job on picking that up.” He said, patting my shoulder as he gave me the camera.

I murmured a thanks before focusing the camera back on the door, Aaron went to investigate the door and possibly try to debunk what had happened.

“It’s fairly solid.” He commented, pushing the wood. “It’s cold….did you try to open this door?”

The faint sound of footsteps on gravel drew my attention away, I thought it was maybe Nick or Zak coming to find us, when neither of them showed up but the footsteps started getting louder the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand on end.

“A-Aaron…” I whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Do you hear those footsteps?”

“…isn’t it Nick or Zak?”

“No.” I replied.

He brought out the two-way radio and asked them where they were, Nick said they hadn’t moved from the jail cells, with a sigh Aaron ended the call. “Okay…can you still hear them?”

“They stopped…but they were getting closer.”

He opened one of the pockets on his vest and brought out an REM pod, he placed it in the doorway to the tunnel and turned it on. “Well if something enters the room then we’ll know about it.”

**~***~**

We sat there continuing to ask for signs of a spirit’s presence and not getting much in response; the door rattled a few times, the footsteps continued but never triggered the pod, the EMF spikes became few and far between. However it didn’t stop my paranoia steadily build as time passed.

Aaron eventually decided we should go and see what the others were up to, we left the static camera facing the REM pod instead and our handheld facing the door, we used our flashlights to make our way to base and pick up the last handheld camera available to us before proceeding to find Nick and Zak.

I had gradually felt a little more at ease but all that fell away once we were back in the area where I had somehow caught the partial apparition. The feeling of dread came back as we rounded the corner and found them inspecting the middle cell with their flashlights.

“Sup guys?” Aaron asked.

“Still trying to debunk this apparition, but it’s proving pretty hard to.” Zak replied.

“Have the pods been picking up anything?” I asked.

“Nope. Everything’s been quiet, too quiet.” Nick sighed. “Maybe they’ve stopped for now…did you guys get anything?”

We told them about the door and the EMF spikes, Zak was vaguely interested in our findings but he seemed distracted. By the time we finished telling them about the footsteps that we had heard and that seemed to avoid the REM pod, he had completely switched off and was poking about in the cell.

“Zak?” Nick asked. “Dude what is it?”

“Cold spot.” Zak bluntly replied. “Feel it.” He said, gesturing to the area in front of him, we crowded into the cell and tried to find this phantom cold spot with little success.

I began to feel claustrophobic so I hastily backed out and stood against the tunnel wall, the guys came to the conclusion that the cold sport had dissipated so they came back out of the cell.

As they were deciding what to do, one of the pods started reacting, the pod right behind them outside the middle cell, they fell silent and stared at it.

“Who’s there?” Zak barked.

I felt goosebumps on my arms, I began to feel slightly ill.

“Come on who is it? We know you’re there.” Zak called up and down the rank of cells. “We’ve caught you on camera, come and talk to us.”

“Zak…” I whimpered.

“Yeah?”

“…footsteps.”

“Where to?”

“Up the tunnel…”

He set off quickly in pursuit and Aaron following closely, it was at this point that the flashlights were switched off so we could go back to night vision on the cameras. The darkness swallowed everything and I felt alone again. A hand on my shoulder made me jump and panic slightly.

“Hey hey, it’s me.” Nick murmured. “What’s wrong?”

“…you startled me.” I breathed.

“What else?”

“I keep getting this feeling…like…dread. I-I don’t know, since catching that thing on camera I just feel like it’s following me around the tunnels.”

“Okay, do you want to stay here whilst those two investigate the footsteps?”

“Not really…this is where…” I uttered before shaking my head. “No.”

I felt him squeeze my shoulder reassuringly. “Alright, why don’t we head down the other tunnel and see what’s down there?”

I knew he was trying to keep me calm but also trying to continue investigating, I wasn’t sure if I was happy with even being in the tunnels at all let alone trying to communicate.

“Sure…I guess.”

Nick radioed Aaron and told him what we were doing, he then started walking away from me and leaving me in the darkness.

“You coming?” he asked.

“…I can’t see…” I uttered.

“Walk towards me.” 

I urged my feet to move towards his voice, I stretched my hands out to try and find him, I found his hand in the darkness and grasped it for dear life.

“Okay?” he asked, pausing slightly.

“Yeah.” I replied, feeling slightly more at ease knowing that Nick wouldn’t leave me alone in the dark if I was scared – Zak would go mental for one thing – especially if anything extreme happened to us.

Which it shouldn’t as we’re heading away from the crazier part of the tunnel and therefore nothing crazy should happen.

The tunnel continued in front of us, Nick leading with the camera in his other hand and keeping a gentle grasp on me with the other. I could feel my body becoming tired with each minute passing, I wasn’t sure if it was general fatigue or something more sinister at work. The walls opened up as we reached a room, the first thing I could sense was that it was a fairly large room in comparison to the other rooms we had been in, the second was the stagnant air.

Nick let go of my hand as we reached what I assumed to be the centre of the room, he walked away, his footsteps giving me a slight idea of where he had gone.

“Wow…here are all the shoes they recovered…” He remarked. “Come take a look.”

I cautiously made my way to him and peered through the camera in his hand; behind a rope barrier were stacks of old moth-eaten shoes of all sizes and – I assumed – colour.

“So…these were shoes that were _actually_ taken from the people shanghai’d?” I asked.

“Yup, or so they say.”

“So you wanna do an EVP session?” I asked, thinking that whilst down here maybe we should try and do something productive.

“If you’re okay with it then sure.”

We set ourselves up with a digital recorder and an EMF meter, the camera was placed on top of a chair shooting the entire room. I was a little apprehensive to start with but this room seemed inactive or at least that’s what I gathered from the air.

“Is there anyone here with us?” Nick asked. “We’re here to listen to you, talk to us, let us know you’re here.”

As expected there was no response, which relieved me slightly but was short lived when a blast of cold air hit me.

“…it’s cold…” I muttered, stating what was obvious.

“Any noticeable temperature change?” he asked. I glanced at the EMF meter, nothing immediately jumped out at me yet I felt cold. The lightheaded feeling was returning too.

“Um…no…I don’t think so..”

“Luna?”

“Huh?”

“You’re swaying.”

“No I’m not.” I replied.

“Yeah you are…”

“…n-no I’m not.”

I felt his hand on my shoulder. “You’re not right are you?” he asked quietly.

My head started hurting like crazy and I could feel my legs wobbling, I clutched to Nick with my free hand in the darkness.

“…I can’t…I…”

“Sit down.” He said, his hand pushing me down gently, I let him coax me to kneel on the floor.

“…my head feels weird..” I mumbled. “Like…not a normal headache.” I couldn’t really describe what I was feeling in words, it was a combination of someone repeatedly slapping my forehead with a ruler and the static electric charge runs through your arms after hitting your elbow on a table.

He sighed and I felt him kneel beside me. “I’m kinda feeling weird too actually.”

The air was cold, colder than it had been earlier, I tried to stand up in an attempt to get my bearings again but my legs were numb and I could tell they wouldn’t be very good at their primary function.

“…w-what time is it?”

“Half five I think…” he replied, his voice was pained.

“Do you think we should get Zak and Aaron down here?” the pain in my head was persistent, I was somewhat thankful that I couldn’t actually see as I was pretty sure I’d be panicking right now.

I felt the radio shoved into my free hand. “Go for it.”

After fumbling around blindly for the relevant button I managed to get through to the others, Zak sounded on edge in the background as Aaron and I exchanged details of our location, they agreed to hurry around to us once Zak finished his EVP session.

It felt like hours. Both Nick and I were knelt on the ground with pounding headaches, I wasn’t able to take any more painkillers for at least another hour I figured. All attempts to communicate were abandoned as the minutes ticked by.

Noises, specifically the sounds of dragging, disrupted the on-going roar in my head; I bolted upright (which was a big mistake as my legs were still numb) and looked around the darkness; there were no flashlights indicating Zak and Aaron’s presence yet the dragging continued. It was so quiet that I didn’t really notice at first but the sounds started getting louder, as if something was approaching.

“Do you hear that?” I whispered.

“Kinda.” Nick replied, barely breathing. “My head kills though.”

“Who’s there?” I asked. I wasn’t expecting any response, maybe I wasn’t getting any because of my doubtful attitude. “I heard you. Show yourself.” I demanded, a new wave of pain rushing through my head.

A loud creak echoed around the room, as if we were in the hull of a ship, my legs were beginning to get feeling back into them as I stood in the darkness. The air was still cold and goosebumps were spreading across my arms, all I could hear was the drumming of blood in my head, my heart going a million miles a minute.

“I demand you to show yourself.”

Another loud creak, this time it didn’t echo, it came from somewhere towards the tunnel mouth. I could feel myself shaking slightly, the pain in my head wasn’t subsiding any time soon.

I knelt down next to Nick to see if he was okay, he was breathing fast and heavy, I turned on the flashlight and saw he was clutching his head, an expression of agony on his face.

“Nick?” I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Do you need to take a breather?”

He shook his head, my own head was screaming in pain but I was determined to ignore it. Nick rarely showed any willingness to back down during lockdowns so to see him speechless in pain was slightly tugging on my conscience.

The temperature was dropping further, the thermometer mounted within the EMF meter proclaimed it was wavering around 37.4 Fahrenheit, I could see my breath in the glow of the flashlight.

“…when are Zak and Aaron getting here?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“Soon…they’re just finishing an EVP session.”

My headache was starting to beat me again, I was feeling dizzy and I slipped to lying down on the dirt floor, covering my face with my hands. Nick tried call the others again but to no avail, the radio didn’t appear to be working.

“That’s perfect…” he muttered, taking the EMF meter from me. “It’s flat in here so why isn’t it working…”

“Flat battery?” I asked.

“Possibly, but they usually last the full lockdown.”

“We have experienced some crazy shit the past few hours, they probably drained when we were by the cells.”

He grunted in agreement, placing the device on the ground. “…I think…I think we need to call it quits...”

“Huh?”

“My head hurts like hell.”

I nodded, I hoped that the others would hurry up and get to us, there were continuous creaks and dragging noises echoing around us. I was beginning to think it was residual activity as it didn’t seemed to be fazed by our presence even when I would look directly at the area where the noises were coming from.

We waited a while longer, silence between us but not around us, the camera had been recording since we arrived and had shown little evidence of malfunctioning; lending to my theory that the activity wasn’t impacted by us.

Footsteps approached, quick and purposeful, Zak and Aaron came through the tunnel entrance and looked a little confused as to why we had the flashlight on.

“…are you guys okay?” Aaron asked.

“Not really.” I answered as Nick went about rubbing his forehead. “There’s a weird feeling in this room and we’re both suffering from it.”

“How so?” Zak asked, kneeling down beside us, his expression worried and curious, I took his hand in mine and told him what we had both experienced, my thoughts were spinning as I rambled my last sentence to him.

He pulled me into his arms as my eyes slipped shut, I forced them open again just in time to see his anxious eyes staring at me.

“W-What?” I asked.

“Okay, I’m calling this one.” He declared half to me and half to the others. “You both need to get out of here.”

I nodded and buried my face in his chest, there was an unsettling feeling washing over me now, a feeling that was certainly not residual. A loud thud jerked us all from our negotiations about packing up, Zak’s heartrate was going through the roof as he ordered silence amongst us.

“…who’s there?” he barked, his chest tensing as he tried to keep the situation under control. “Show yourself.”

The pain washing through my head was dulling slightly but being replaced by a desire to sleep. My body was caught between relaxing and tensing, the cold air was making me shiver.

“Okay, Aaron get Nick back to base, we’re calling it now.” Zak ordered quietly. “I’ll call Mark and get him to unlock us.”

I felt myself being lifted up and carried through the tunnels. My eyes slipped shut again and I could feel myself giving into the desire to sleep, Zak’s steady footsteps along the gravel floors kept me awake long enough to get back to base and sit down on an old crate. I was told to sit there and wait for them to pack up as I was struggling to stay awake.

With a nod of agreement between us Zak left to find the static cameras, Nick was slowly recovering and had been collecting the REM pods, they were all dead apparently, and shoving them into the crates. Aaron seemed a bit more composed than the rest of us and had most of the equipment packed up when Mark came clattering down from above. The evening light poured in and was welcomed by us, as well as the fresh air, a pleasant change to the sealed tunnels.


	19. Seasickness?

**Seasickness?**

**Zak’s P.O.V**

It’s rather concerning to know that both your best friend and your girlfriend are vomiting near enough at the same time in the hotel. Even more so when you don’t know what’s causing it.

Aaron was none-the-wiser either, he simply went about setting up the laptops to copy the recorded tapes across for analysis in the morning and paused to yawn loudly every few minutes.

I leaned against the door to the bathroom, Nick was in the other room, probably in the bathroom vomiting, whilst Luna was in ours. I looked on as she tiredly knelt against the toilet, panting heavily, my heartstrings tugged as she looked at me through lidded eyes; she was pale and seemed about ready to fall asleep on the tiled floor.

I scooped her up in my arms and set her down on the bed, making sure that the empty wastepaper bin was nearby in case of an emergency, I hurried Aaron along so that he could go and check on Nick and leave us alone for a few hours, thankfully he didn’t take it personally and sped up considerably.

By half nine he was gone, Luna was still worse for wear on the bed, she had curled up on her side and was shaking slightly. I crawled behind her and wrapped her in my arms, she pressed against me but made no sound. I kissed her neck softly, linking our fingers together and squeezing her hand. I was worried, there was no doubt about that, but part of me knew she’d bounce back in a few days.

**~***~**

I woke up the next morning to find the bed empty beside me, I sat up as the bathroom door opened, she had taken a shower and her hair was damp, her clothes stuck to her moist body as she smiled at me. She looked a lot better than last night as she sat on the edge of the bed to sort out her hair.

“You okay?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at me.

“Yeah I’m good. Are you feeling better?”

“I don’t know what came over me, I just felt like I had been hit by a bus and my stomach was tearing itself apart…” she sighed. “But I’m fine now.”

I grunted in reply, shuffling to sit behind her. I took the hairbrush from her hand and went about gently brushing her hair as she fell silent, I was cautious with the knots that had formed and picked them apart slowly; pressing kisses to her neck everytime my finger got caught or I accidentally tugged her head back. She remained silent and relaxed against my touch, it was a peaceful silence between us as I gradually braided her hair with the little knowledge I had on the matter.

When I finished I realised that she had nearly fallen asleep, I couldn’t help but feel a small sense of accomplishment as she got up and stretched, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she ran a hand over the braid. She turned to me and smiled, it was one of those half-asleep smiles that makes your heart melt.

I wanted to lock the door and keep her all to myself forever.

I settled instead for pulling her onto the bed and kissing her neck as she settled in my lap and giggled into my shoulder. As it was barely ten in the morning I didn’t want to tire either of us out so I pulled back and stared into her bright eyes. She smiled again at me yet said nothing.

“So…we have to decide what to do today…” I sighed.

“Oh yeah?” she asked, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Do tell.”

“Well…there’s evidence to be analysed…but we have to decide where we’re headed next and start making plans.”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Isn’t there something else?”

“…not that I know of…” I replied uncertainly. “Care to share?”

“I dunno, just seems a bit…rushed, can’t we have a day or two out?”

“Out as in…out somewhere or out as in a break?”

“You can decide that.” She smirked, breaking away from me and making for the door. “I’ll be waiting.”

With that she left, I had no idea where she had gone as I hardly thought the others would be up yet and there wasn’t much to do in this particular hotel, I knew she wouldn’t leave the building though so that gave me a little reassurance. The next thought was what did she mean by I can decide? Was it a hint to take her out for the day? I didn’t know any places in Portland that would be suitable…I’d have to ask Aaron for some help.

**~***~**

Somehow I got wrapped up in looking at the apparition caught on video, I wasn’t sure how it happened but it did and no-one had seen Luna in a few hours. I snapped myself out of my curiosity and walked the halls of the hotel with Nick in an attempt to find her. It wasn’t too hard, as I said there wasn’t much to do here and we found her in the bar area with a small group of people. She caught my eye and motioned for us to wait a second, she said something to the group who all turned to look at us, I then realised who they were; they were fans.

She confidently approached us and smiled. “They just came up to me and asked for my autograph.” She said, an air of bewilderment in her voice. “I mean they’re nice people but I’m still getting used to this whole thing.”

I hugged her, Nick decided to go over and talk to the fans – probably to distract them from us – whilst we stayed hugging.

“You should’ve come to find us.” I whispered.

“It’s okay, as I said; they’re lovely people, plus I didn’t want to lead them to our rooms.”

Her intentions were good but at the same time I didn’t like the idea of her being alone, I knew she was still fragile after Poveglia and I knew that some of the fans can get a little overexcited sometimes.

“They want to meet you.” She whispered. “Go on, I’ll head up and see what Aaron’s up to.”

I nodded and let her go, she winked at me before moving away, as she passed me I felt a sharp slap on my ass, I turned around to catch her smirking as she bolted up the stairs. I could feel the blush spreading across my cheeks as I turned back towards the fans and I doubted it was going to escape their attention.

**Luna’s P.O.V**

Aaron appreciated my company, or more to the point he appreciated having someone to organise the mess of tapes that had nothing of interest on them and had been tossed in a careless pile, eventually I busied myself with sorting out all the equipment that had been charging and putting them all back in their cases. The list of captured evidence was reasonable for the location and the host of personal experiences that occurred, I was eager to see and hear what we caught but Aaron was adamant that we had to wait for Nick and Zak to get back.

It seemed like an eternity before they came back, they seemed relatively calm and collected, however their attention got turned to the evidence at hand. Aaron seemed fit to burst when we finally got settled enough to listen to the findings.

“Okay then, what have you guys found?” Zak asked. “Start with audio.”

Aaron bought up ten different clips, I could sense the surprise in the room. Three of them were deemed to be footsteps after clarifying where everyone was at the time it was captured. Zak practically jumped out of his seat when we heard the recording of the windchimes, he was doing his impression of a child on Christmas morning as he ordered Aaron to replay it.

“I am so happy we caught that…” he sighed eventually. “Anyway, continue.”

We laughed as Aaron shook his head and went back to presenting the stuff him and Nick found. He showed us the audio caught during the time Zak and I spent in the prostitute’s area, where Zak got groped, the harsh whispers which I heard and that we decided was saying “He’s mine” at the time.

The others agreed with our thoughts and even managed to clear the background noise to make it clearer. Aaron bought up a clip and waited for us to fall silent from our conversation about Zak’s ability to attract a certain kind of attention from spirits before explaining the origin of the audio captured.

“This was from when Nick and you Luna were in the jail cells, right before the apparition was caught actually, and you were having some kind of disagreement about something when you both obviously hear something and then the recording stops. I guessed you rewound the tape to try and decipher it.”

“Yeah the REM pod started going crazy.” Nick replied. “And I asked who was there; that was the response we got.”

“Well here’s the original.” Aaron murmured, gesturing to the laptop as he started the clip.

“ _Who’s there_?” Nick’s voice came through the speakers. “ _Show yourself_.”

“ _Iwasbea-_ ” a harsh hiss replied.

We looked to Zak who gestured for Aaron to go on. Part of the clip was isolated and replayed slowed down: “ _Iwas beat”_

A few settings were changed and it was slowed down further: “ _I was beat-_ ”

“I’m gonna guess it said ‘I was beaten’?” I remarked after we heard it a few more times.

“That would be my guess too.” Zak sighed. “This was in the jail cells right?”

Aaron nodded. “That seemed to be a particularly active part of the tunnels.”

“Did you actually get any footage of the REM pods going crazy?” I asked. “I mean I know you said we got the apparition but I’m curious as to how much activity the pods witnessed throughout the night in general.”

“We got a mixture of video and audio for that, obviously for the apparition and beforehand but we also got some when I left the static camera shooting one of the rooms where there were a few pods sat.” Aaron replied. “There’s something else I want your opinions on though.”

“Go for it.” Zak declared.

“It was when Luna and Nick were in the larger room towards the end of the lockdown, when you both started feeling ill, you were talking about hearing the sounds of dragging when I heard it.” Aaron explained.

He played the audio taken from the camera that had been sat on the floor between Nick and I during most of the time we were there, you could see Nick sat next to the camera and me stood a little further away, we were silent after I demanded for the spirit to show themselves when we heard what Aaron was talking about; the loud creak.

I had registered it at the time but hearing it played back make it seem creepier. It was looped several times until Zak took a sharp intake of breath, almost as if he thought of something.

“It sounds like the hull of a ship.” He murmured, still in thought.

“I thought that at the time…” I sighed. “But now it seems even more so.”

“It seems residual; we didn’t hear anything like that at all through the night until this point.” Nick added. “Bear in mind that I had remarked about the shoes in the room before that happened.”

“Yeah you did.” I agreed. “So…maybe that triggered something?”

“I’m thinking…” Zak murmured again, commanding silence once again. “That the creak is indeed the creak of a ship’s hull.”

“But why? Why in the tunnels?” I asked.

“Think about it, those shoes came from people who were put onto ships, if they died at sea in the hull of a ship and their spirit returned to those shoes then maybe the energy from the ship did too.” Nick explained. “At least I think that’s what you meant.” He looked to Zak for approval.

“Kinda, I mean it’s a long shot but it’s somewhat plausible.”

“So what you’re saying is the spirit of an inanimate object is there too?” I asked sceptically.

“No…just the residual noises of the ‘object’.” Zak replied, raising an eyebrow at me, something about the simple gesture made my heart skip a beat.

“Ghost ships eh? I thought you guys did one of those already.”       

Zak shook his head and laughed, Nick couldn’t hold back the smirk he was fighting and Aaron just rolled his eyes and turned back to the laptop.

"So wait, do you think that's why Nick and I felt ill? I mean you suffer from seasickness don't you Nick?" I asked

"Yeah...I do..."

"Well if the energy from the ship was in that room then maybe we both had some kind of adverse effect to it which came out as something like seasickness?"

"Possibly?" Nick looked to Zak who shrugged in response.

"It's possible I guess." Zak murmured.

The rest of what we captured were mediocre things like dragging and the video of the REM pods going off, just more back-up really to fill the showtime out if we needed it.

When we concluded that we were done with the evidence analysis Aaron said he wanted to grab a bite to eat, Nick agreed with him, my own stomach was protesting too. After persuading Zak we set off to find some food at one of the local restaurants which Aaron recommended.

**~***~**

As the others headed back to the hotel Zak pulled me aside and kissed me deeply, clutching my hand tightly as the sun slowly started making its decent in the sky. I encouraged him but pushed him away slightly, I could feel myself blushing heavily.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.” I replied. “Just…don’t you think it’s a little easy to be spotted? After all we know there are fans in the area.”

“I like a bit of risk.” He purred in my ear. “But if you’re not up to it or don’t want to then we can just go back to the room.”

I smiled at him, reaching up and stroking his cheek. “Mmm…okay.”

“Come on then.” He said, clutching my hand and pulling me across the busy street. We wandered the darkening sidewalks of Portland hand-in-hand, if I had been back in England alone I would’ve been terrified of anyone that looked at me but here with Zak I felt invincible but more importantly; happy.


	20. Asian delicacies

 

  **Asian delicacies**

**Nick’s P.O.V**

We knew Zak and Luna would slope off somewhere after we had eaten, we were prepared for it in way of Aaron’s personal camera ready to start recording a vlog as we walked back to the hotel.

“So guys we just finished eating after getting through all the evidence, Nick and I are just walking back to the hotel now.” Aaron reported to the lens, pointing it at me as we waited to cross the street.

“Dunno where Zak and Luna have gone.” I sighed. “They disappeared just after we left the restaurant.”

“Well we’re not sharing a room with either of them so it doesn’t really matter.”

“True, what they get up to isn’t our business….well…”

Aaron laughed as we crossed the street. “I love being in Portland, it’s so familiar to me.” He sighed. “I mean I love travelling and I think it’s good to see the world but it’s nice to come home you know?”

“Yeah I hear ya, I love being able to investigate close to home.”

We fell silent for a few moments as we navigated the last few streets between us and the hotel, Aaron’s camera documenting the lights and sounds of downtown Portland. I missed my family but I found comfort in knowing our next location was going to be closer to them so I could spend some much needed time with my daughter and wife.

“Any idea where we’re actually investigating?” Aaron asked, bringing me out of my thoughts as we walked through the hallways of the hotel.

“Nope, all I know is that it’s somewhere near my place, like less than three hours’ drive, and it’s scheduled for a few days’ time…oh and that we’re flying there.”

“Billy and Gracie are meeting us there I think.” Aaron added, pressing the button to call the elevator, he had put his camera away now so we could talk about things that weren’t allowed to be discussed on camera,

“Uh-huh…for real though, where the hell has Zak taken Luna this time?”

“Dunno, I think they’re just walking around the city, he didn’t ask me for any places to take her so…yeah.” Aaron shrugged, walking into the elevator.

**Luna’s P.O.V**

I had completely lost myself in the city lights, it was one of those surreal moments where all your thoughts and worries are forgotten as the atmosphere surrounds you. Zak had led me into many tight spaces and stolen kisses from me, it was all a blur but it was a happy blur that left me feeling buzzed. The night was getting on and the city streets were beginning to thin out so we started making our way back. I clung to Zak’s arm as I felt my body giving into fatigue, he pressed a kiss to my forehead and wrapped an arm around me.

When we got back to the room I was practically sleep-walking, I just felt so tired all of a sudden and I didn’t know why. Normally when this happened I would ask Jay as he always seemed aware of what was happening…but alas he was not with us and I was slowly getting used to life without him again even if I didn’t want to. We fell asleep on the bed fully clothed wrapped up in each other’s embrace at some godforsaken hour of the morning.

The morning came quickly and I was woken by Zak’s breath on my cheek, I opened my eyes slowly and turned towards him, he smiled and kissed me gently.

“Sleep well?” he whispered.

“I need to stop falling asleep whilst wearing jeans…” I murmured. “But yeah, you?”

“It was perfect, just like it always is.” He replied.

I giggled sleepily and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Of course it was.” I sighed. “You’re so easy to please.”

He laughed quietly, pressing his lips to my forehead and easing himself to lie beside me, linking our fingers together and sighing.

“So what’s today’s plan?” I asked after a few minutes of silence between us.

“We don’t fly to Massachusetts until tomorrow afternoon, so we have another day here.” He replied half-asleep.

“You got any particular ideas for passing the time?”

“Not really…why do you want to do something?” he asked, propping himself up on one elbow.

“…I kinda wanna see a bit more of the city.”

“…I’ll go and ask Aaron what there is to see around here, you get dressed whilst I’m gone.” He yawned, giving me a peck on the cheek as he got off the bed.

**~***~**

When Zak came back there was an air of excitement around him, he swept me up in his arms and spun me around in one motion, making me feel slightly dizzy, he kissed me as he set me back on the ground.

“What was that for?” I asked, bewildered and now feeling slightly ill.

“Sorry, I just felt like doing that…” he replied, blushing a little. “Anyway I know what we’re doing today now, let’s get some breakfast and then on with the day.”

“And where great tell are we going?” I asked, slipping my flat shoes on.

“That’s a surprise my dear.” He purred, taking my hand and kissing it.

We stopped off in a little corner café for some breakfast before Zak, who seemed to want to burst from excitement, drove us across the river towards the outskirts of Portland. I was curious of course; Zak’s surprises in the past haven’t been disappointing and he seemed quite enthusiastic about this one. The hustle and bustle of the city faded and trees surrounded us as we drove along a deserted road, I had learned to not ask Zak about what he was planning; he would only reply with ‘it’s a surprise’.

Eventually he turned into a small parking lot and gutted the engine, I raised an eyebrow at the trees encasing us but said nothing. He smiled and opened the door, I followed suit and joined him at the front of the van.

“So…is this it?” I asked.

“Not quite.” He replied, taking my hand and tugging me towards a path I hadn’t noticed before. “Through here.”

I squeezed his hand as we walked under a canopy of trees on a twisting path, the silence between us was filled with the songs of birds and the whispers in the wind amongst the leaves, the soft crunch of gravel under our feet and Zak’s quiet humming.

We came to the end of the path and a Japanese pagoda lay before us, a sign proclaiming ‘Japanese Garden’ in both English and, naturally, Japanese made everything click. As Zak paid for our admission I caught sight of some of the colourful trees beyond the pathways. I had always liked the Asian culture, especially the gardens, I hadn’t really said anything to Zak about it so I wondered whether it was just a lucky guess of his.

“Come on then sweetheart.” Zak said, wrapping an arm around my waist and leading me down the shallow steps to another path. “We can spend all day here if you want.”

“Good, because I like Japanese gardens.” I replied.

“Really?”

“Yeah, they’re so pretty and peaceful…I mean any woodland or garden is like that but these ones are just…better…you know?”

He kissed my temple and laughed slightly. “You’re full of surprises aren’t you?”

“Just like you.” I replied.

My attention quickly turned to the trees and shrubs around us that were lining the pathway; the varied colours that gave a refreshing feel as they merged together to build an incline on either side of us. The path opened up to a small clearing that overlooked a flat plane of raked gravel that gave off the appearance of waves on the surface of water, which was interrupted by rockeries, a line of colourful shrubs and trees congregated on the other side like a headland overlooking a cove on a beach. The sun catching on the pinks and yellows of the leaves of the trees made it feel warm and inviting.

We stopped and took in the sight, a gentle breeze washed over the quiet space. I leaned against Zak and closed my eyes; sighing deeply.

“Well?” he whispered.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Like you.”

“Oh stop flattering me Zachary.” I giggled.

“It’s true.”

After a timeless period we continued on, taking another tree-lined path around and away from the flat garden, the flora began to thin out and rocks were beginning to become visible in amongst the greenery, the rocks weren’t the only thing to start appearing. Stone lanterns also appeared, I wished that it was darker so they would’ve been lit and shone along the path. As we came to a bend in the path a large tree draped its branches over the space, the pinkish red leaves basking in the sunlight. I ran my fingers against them as we passed underneath, I caught Zak’s eye he looked at me with an endearing smile  and pulled me close to him; halting us amongst the draping leaves of the tree.

“You look so at ease right now.” He whispered, cupping my face with his hands. “And when you look at ease you’re more beautiful than ever.”

I felt myself blush a deeper red than the leaves. All I could do in response was smile and press my lips to his. After staying in a tight embrace for a few minutes, swaying in the light breeze and the tender touch of the leaves, we continued our slow walk around the garden.

**~***~**

It seemed like the day was never going to end, the gardens were so breathtakingly stunning, the more we saw of them the more relaxed I became, Zak also seemed to unwind as the day drew on and he was showing the side that rarely gets seen; the quiet soft spoken side that makes my heart melt.

We stood on a low bridge barely inches above the surface of a pond, well it was a wide pond that looked more like a river but it was definitely a pond, rocks lined the water’s edge and gave way to shrubs and neatly kept grass. Stone lanterns and sculptures of cranes decorated the banks of the pond, the water capturing their reflections like one giant mirror. Trees formed a layered incline in the background; the green leaves briefly splashed with pinks and yellows of flowering branches being reflected in the still water of the pond.

“…what I would do to have scenery like this back home…” I sighed.

“Same…Vegas is beautiful in its own way but this is just something else entirely…” Zak murmured.

We moved on, taking a narrower path that ran parallel with a small stream which ran off from the pond. Lanterns lead us along, seemingly guiding us towards wilder plant-life. Vibrant colours came from flowers out of nowhere but were subtly dulled by the array of greener trees and shrubs, the stream grew slightly wider and pebbles began poking up from the riverbed; disrupting the flow of water but generating a soft trickling sound. Blossoms that were late blooming were hanging from the trees; white flowers in amongst the serene green like stars in the sky.

The sounds of a small waterfall, which were faint at first, drew my curiosity out. Sure enough as we rounded a corner we were on a viewpoint to another pond, this one had rocks in the middle of the water which each held a stone lantern, covered in a little bit of moss but still recognisable. It was deeper than the other pond but there were brief flashes of colour that intrigued me, we were able to get closer further along the path and then we saw that the flashes of colour were fish.

“Koi…” I murmured, pointing to a small collection of them near the surface, the bright orange and white scales that winked in the sunlight when they breached the surface.

“Mmmm.” Zak hummed in reply, I could sense he was somewhat in a state of bliss as he nuzzled my neck and sighed.

“Tired?” I asked, turning into his embrace.

“A little, but I’m just so relaxed…being here with you in such a wonderful place.” He answered.

I giggled quietly and pulled him to follow me down the pathway. “Come on Zak, there’s still much to see.”

We came across a larger waterfall network, cherry trees lining the small inclines, blossoms having fallen into the water and washed down into the small pool at the bottom. Zak picked up one of the blossoms and gave it to me, kissing me lightly on the cheek as I took it from his hand. I let it slip from my fingers into the fast current of the river as we followed it away from the waterfall and into a slightly overgrown part of the garden. Within the flora a miniature pagoda sat; tinted green with years of moss having lived on it, I felt a weird connection to it, it reminded me of some of the castles in England that I’ve visited, how they withstood the test of time and preserved themselves against nature.

A gate stood open on the path, one the other side I could see that the overgrown feature continued, we walked upon the flagstone path that replaced that gravel, there were little steps here and there but for the most part it was flat as the path wound around the trees. Zak pulled me to sit on a stone bench overlooking another pond. He held both my hands in his and kissed my neck softly. We sat there for a while, enjoying the peace and each other’s company.

“What time is it?” I asked after a comfortable eternity of silence.

“About four.” He replied. “Getting hungry?”

“A little, but I can hold for a few more hours, this place is too stunning to pass up just for food.”

He smiled, “Well I’m glad you’re enjoying it sweetheart.” He rested his forehead against mine.

“I am, it’s been one of the best days of my life.” I whispered.

“Well I think we’re quite close to the end of it, any requests for dinner m’lady?”

I giggled, “No, not today sir, just as long as you’re there.”

The sun was beginning its decent when we finally left, we decided on Chinese takeaway for dinner; eating it in the van as we overlooked the river running through Portland. It occurred to me that I didn’t know where we were investigating next.

“So where’s the next lockdown?” I asked, crushing the empty box in my hands.

“Lizzie Borden’s house. But it’s not for a few days yet. I want to give Nick some time with his family like you suggested, plus Billy’s gonna meet us there and look through the evidence we got from the tunnels…I just want some down time for all of us.”

“Ah okay, how far away is that from Nick’s place?”

“About two hours I think, maybe a bit more maybe a bit less. I dunno as I haven’t driven there in a while.”

I nodded and slumped down in the seat, my gaze fell on Zak as he too slumped down in his seat, his own takeaway finished and the box tossed on the back seat. He reached out and tugged me to climb onto his lap, as I lay against him he sighed in content.

“I could get used to this.” He said.

“You’ve said that before.” I remarked.

“I could though.”

“As could I. It’s something I’ll miss back in England.”

“Mmm…let’s not think about that.” He sighed. “Let’s just focus on today and tomorrow can wait.”

“Sounds good to me.” I replied, kissing his lips, he make a small moan as I pulled away. He raised an eyebrow and pulled me back to kiss him again; this time I could sense his neediness as he nipped at my lips and urged them apart. I pressed against him and ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the black strands as he slipped his tongue in between my lips.

“…you want to continue this back at the hotel?” he whispered as I pulled back.

“…mm…no sex…I’m too tired for it.” I replied. “But yeah okay.”

I could see the blush creeping over his cheeks but his eyes portrayed something else entirely. “Well I can’t drive with you on my lap.” He smirked.

**~***~**

“You’re such a tease.” He whined as he pinned me down on the bed.

“Admit it; you enjoy it though.” I remarked, watching his free hand trail down my side towards my waist.

He laughed, kissing my neck as he slipped his hand between my legs. “Well we’ll see who the tease is tonight.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes really, it’s not like it’s _super_ late so we don’t have to be that quiet.”

I raised an eyebrow, he started moving his fingers against the denim of my jeans, I saw the desire in his eyes as I felt the movements of his fingers against my core, my breathing became unsteady as I fought to control myself.

“I-I suppose you’re going to t-tease me aren’t you?” I slowly said, keeping eye contact with him.

“Maybe…maybe not.” He replied, his voice low and lustful, he applied more pressure to his fingers. He smirked as my hips bucked involuntarily and I bit my lip. “Like that huh?”

“…you know what I like and don’t like.” I replied. “You demonstrated it enough times.”

His calm expression faltered as he blushed slightly, he responded by capturing my lips and started moving his fingers faster. My hands were still pinned in place by his other hand so I could do little in way of resistance.

Not that I wanted him to stop.

I moaned into his lips which he took as a signal to step it up a gear. His hand left my wrists and he urged me to take my shirt off, which I did without much encouragement, he then went about leaving lovebites down my neck and onto my chest, pulling my bra down as I wrapped my legs around him and tangled my fingers in his hair, my other hand gripping his shoulder.

“God I’ve missed having you like this.” He whispered in my ear, easing my hold on him as he took his shirt of, my fingers immediately ran down his chest over every toned muscle to his belt.

“I bet you have.” I managed to reply, “But it’s my turn now.” I somehow caught him by surprise and got him on his back, eyes staring into mine as I straddled his body.

“Oh really?”

“Yes pretty boy.” I remarked, stroking his cheek. “You’ve had enough fun for one night.”

He winked at me and smirked as my hand trailed down his body, I leaned down and planted a slow kiss to his collarbone, he inhaled quickly and sighed, I lightly tug my fingernails in – not enough to hurt him – and kissed his neck again. I felt his hips press up against me, I grazed his chest with my teeth as I kissed him, he sharply inhaled but remained still.

I slowly made my way down his chest, he tucked his hands behind his head and watched me get closer to his fastened belt, I looked up at him, he raised an eyebrow at me. I smirked and returned to his lips, he moaned slightly in protest but didn’t say anything when I pulled back.

“…I said no sex.” I whispered. “And I know how carried away you can get…”

“…no fair…” he pouted. “You’re such a tease.”

“So you say…”

“…you are though.” He murmured, kissing me lightly. “I’ll live though I suppose.”

“You should do, I’ve left you hanging before.”

“On far too many occasions.”

I laughed and rolled off of him, he wrapped his arms around me and sighed. It was sometime around midnight and my tiredness was beginning to resurface, I tore myself away from Zak and got changed into something more comfortable to sleep in; I could feel him watching me closely as I crawled back into his embrace.

“…tease…” he whispered as I settled back down.

“…it takes one to know one.” I whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In all honesty I have no idea what happened at the end of this chapter but I hope it wasn't written too badly...haha...(this is why I shouldn't write at 1am)


	21. Thoughts on the future

**Thoughts on the future**

We managed to catch an earlier flight to Massachusetts the next day, which was good as it meant we arrived in the middle of the morning rather than lunchtime. Nick was eager to get home and quiet rightly too, almost as soon as we got out of the airport he was calling his wife; excitement and relief in his voice. I felt happy for him considering how long he had been away and what he’s had to deal with. A friend of his picked him up for the two hour drive to New Hampshire whilst we were waiting for our taxi to the hotel, Billy was running one of the vans up to us in the next few days; bringing Gracie with him, before our lockdown in the Lizzie Borden house.

After much discussion we actually decided to all share a room, something about Zak feeling as if we didn’t spend a lot of time with Aaron these days. I didn’t have any problem with this, possibly because I felt the same. I knew Nick would be taking at least two days out before our lockdown happened and then another two afterwards, so that was four days in total that we’d have to entertain ourselves which of course wouldn’t be a problem with both Aaron and Billy around.

“So what do you wanna do sweetheart?” Zak asked as we finished carrying the luggage to the room. “We got two days to kill.”

“You know…I just wanna sit around and do nothing all day.” I sighed. “Just the three of us.” I looked to Aaron who nodded.

“If that’s what you wanna do then sounds good to me.” He replied. “It’s reasonably good weather so we could sit in the outdoor area of the hotel.”

I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. There was nothing I wanted more than to just sit back and relax with them, sure it would be nice to have Nick and Billy with us but at the same time it would be nice just the three of us.

The hotel had an impressive seating area out back overlooking the cove where a lot of naval vessels were based, it was pretty quiet for a nice day so we got a pretty good view of the area. The sun was warm and certainly made the day fly by, we talked idly about this and that, we also managed to get through quite a few glasses of lemonade in the hours that passed.

“So what’s on your mind for tomorrow?” Zak asked, stroking my hair as I rested my head against his chest.

“…dunno…Billy’s meant to be getting here with Gracie right?”

“Supposed to be, yeah.” Aaron replied.

“…can we go to a park or something then?”

“Sure darling.” Zak sighed contently.

**~***~**

There’s something enjoyable about watching Gracie get excited over a tennis ball, especially when she gets so excited that she stumbles over and sits there dazed for a few seconds. It was another great day in Fall River, where we were staying for this lockdown, and we were enjoying the careless lazing around in one of the parks. The grass was cool and refreshing, Gracie was adorable like always and the guys were throwing banter back and forth as usual.

“We could’ve stayed in the Borden house, ya’know stayed overnight.” Aaron sighed.

“Yeah…and been hacked to death by the crazy maids.” Zak remarked. “No thanks.”

“Ah come on dude we might’ve caught some awesome evidence.”

“Yeah Zak chopped to little pieces.” Billy sniggered.

“Diced Bagans.” Aaron added.

“Not as good as diced bacon.” I sighed, effectively silencing them. “What?”

“Well only Luna would know what Zak tastes like.” Billy murmured.

I felt myself blush heavily, it didn’t exactly pass over Zak’s head either, the others cracked up laughing and Gracie just sat looking at us in a puzzled fashion.

Our saving grace came in form of Nick calling Zak, after stuttering a little he managed to conclude that Nick’s wife was dropping him off tomorrow lunchtime for the lockdown and then spending the rest of the time we were here with us. As soon as the phone call ended Billy and Aaron cracked up in laughter again, I threw the tennis ball and watched Gracie scamper after it, she trotted back to me and settled between Zak and I on the grass panting in the heat.

“It’s so bizarre…the sun…” I murmured, leaning over her to rest my head on Zak’s chest.

“Why?” Zak asked.

“We don’t see it very often in England, when we do it’s normally during the winter so we can’t really enjoy it.”

“You don’t really make it sound appealing.” Aaron chuckled.

“I don’t exactly find it appealing myself Aaron.”

“We gathered that.”

“I may exaggerate a little when I say we hardly see it, but it seems weird to have such nice weather for so long, almost begs the question when it’s going to break.”

“Don’t jinx it with your British superstitions.” Billy remarked, hitting me lightly on the shoulder.

We all laughed, I felt like falling asleep there and then just happy in the company of these guys who had changed my life so much.

**~***~**

“Come on sweetheart, we’re gonna be late.” Zak called through the door to the bathroom. It was easy for him to say that, he’d met Nick’s family before and this was just another occasion. I on the other hand was trying to battle my nerves.

“I’m sure you look stunning like you always do but remember that we’re going to be investigating in a few hours.” He called again.

I laughed slightly through my anxiety, I wasn’t exactly going over the top like he probably thought, my hair was being difficult that was all. When I eventually came out Zak smiled and took my hand in his.

“Ready then?”

“Yes.” I remarked. “Didn’t take too long did I?”

He laughed and shook his head. “Not really, can’t really improve on perfection.”

“That…has got to be one of _the cheesiest_ things you’ve said to me.” I sighed as we walked down to the hotel lobby.

“It’s true though.”

“Where do you even get these lines?”

“…ask Aaron what happened last time we went out drinking.”

“I thought you didn’t drink that much?”

“Only once in a while, it’s normally when Billy’s working at a club and he can get us discounted drinks.”

“Ah, I see.”

We met up with the guys and got on the way to meet up with Nick before our lockdown, the van was loaded with everything we’d need for the night ahead of us. It was another beautiful day in Massachusetts; the sun was shining and there were very few clouds in the sky as the van weaved between the lanes of traffic in the town centre. The plan was to meet Nick and his family and have lunch with them before heading to the Borden house, we actually ended up arriving early despite Zak’s complaints at how long I took in the bathroom.

It wasn’t long though before we heard the voice of a little girl as the door to the restaurant opened, we had been sat in the lounge area waiting for them when an excitable little girl came running over to Aaron, giggling as she clung to him.

“Hey Annabelle!” He greeted, picking her up and resting her on his knee. “Where are your mom and dad?”

“We’re coming dude.” Nick sighed as he arrived with a blonde woman.

“Certainly getting good at running away aren’t you?” Billy remarked to the little one.

“Oh yeah, Luna, this is Veronique.” Nick said to me, gesturing to his wife.

“Just call me Roni.” She added, extending a hand. I nodded as I shook it. “I hear you’re Zak’s other half now?”

I felt myself blush, Zak squeezed my hand tightly when I didn’t reply immediately. “Yeah, yeah I am.” I belatedly answered, cursing my nerves for making me seem like a frightened rabbit.

We got a table and ate together, Annabelle squealing with delight as Aaron and Billy entertained her by taking it in turns to make her laugh. I watched with a certain curiosity; I’d never really liked the idea of having children but it was times like this that made me somewhat change my mind, watching as Annabelle shook her head at Aaron’s goofy smile, her light brown hair flicking around. She certainly bought out a side to Billy I hadn’t seen for a while.

The meal itself was nothing special, however it was nice to have company other than the guys, Roni was very polite and seemed to know her stuff when it came to ghost hunting; commenting on various piece of evidence from over the years which had caused controversy. Once we finished eating it was decided to start making our way to the Lizzie Borden house to set up for the night, leaving Roni and the little one at the hotel we were staying in.

As we drove up to the house I was still in a state of contemplation about whether or not I wanted kids in the future, the van was emptied of everything that we needed before I even realised that we had arrived.

“What’s up?” Zak asked as I looked up at the faded green house standing before me.

“Nothing.”

“You’ve been quiet for a few hours…you sure nothing’s wrong?” He asked, taking my hands in his.

“Just thinking about stuff.” I replied.

“…do you mind if I ask what about?”

“The future…spending time with Annabelle made me rethink my pact of never having kids…”

He gave me a curious look but said nothing.

“I mean…I’m still not overly enthusiastic about the idea.” I sighed. “But…I dunno, I can see the appeal ya’know?”

He smiled endearingly at me and kissed my forehead. “Well for the record I think you’d be a great mom.”

“Is that a hint perhaps?”

“…I’m not going to confirm or deny that suspicion…I’m just going to say that there are endless possibilities in the future…”

I couldn’t think of a witty remark to hide my surprise at his reaction, I just smiled and pressed myself against him as he drew me into a hug.

“Come on you two, we have cameras to set up!” Billy called from the front door. “We haven’t got all night.”

**  
**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's block is a bitch.   
> That is all.  
> It's also too hot in England, something I thought I'd never say.


	22. The prelude

**The prelude**

The house was bigger than I thought. There were many rooms, as expected of a bed and breakfast, and each of them was a reasonable size. A few cameras had been set up already, the light was fading, I had been given the task of taking Gracie around the house whilst I could still use the sun as lighting. She had been fairly quiet since we arrived, I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not, my own take on this building was that it harboured potentially dangerous entities if they were provoked…which I hoped they wouldn’t be. The creaking floorboards unsettled me, I could feel something in the air and I didn’t like it.

I ushered Gracie along, trying to finish the exploration of the second floor and continue onto the third, just to get away from the uneasy feeling. It would’ve been fine if she hadn’t frozen in a doorway, eyes staring at the staircase connecting the floors to one another.

“…come on girl.” I whispered encouragingly. “We haven’t got time for this.”

She growled softly, paws rooting to the wooden floor, she briefly glanced at me but quickly back at the staircase.

“Gracie…”

I looked at the stairs, there was nothing of interest or concern there. My hand reached for the radio that I had been given, looking back at Gracie as I fumbled for the button.

“Aaron?” I whispered.

“Sup?” he answered.

“…Gracie’s…she’s staring at the staircase on the second floor…she’s not moving, just staring.”

“..huh.” he sounded stumped. “I’ll find Zak a sec and ask him for his take.”

The radio buzzed off, I gripped it tightly as I looked back at Gracie.

“Gracie come on, let’s go.” I muttered, tugging her leash. She moved slowly but kept her gaze ahead of her. Almost as if she was having a stand-off with another dog…or a bigger predator.

I managed to get her to co-operate and we finished the walkthrough of the house. I shoved the leash into Nick’s hand when he greeted us and walked off by myself. Something in the house wasn’t right and I didn’t want them to start asking me questions.

Surely enough though after a few minutes I had one of them following me around the expanse of grass that was the yard.

“What is it Billy?” I asked, not quite turning around.

“Nick said you seemed stressed, I can’t raise Zak on the radio so I came to find out what’s happening.” He replied.

“Nothing happened.” I lied. “I’m fine, I just needed some air.”

“I don’t buy that for one second.” He said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “Come on, sit down and tell me what happened.” He beckoned me to sit on the grass next to him, I considered it slowly before admitting defeat, easing myself onto the ground. The grass was cool to the touch.

“Nothing…bad happened.” I sighed. “Gracie just froze and stared at the staircase, it freaked me out that’s all.”

“You didn’t hear anything? Any voices?”

“Nope…just Gracie staring and growling at the stairs.”

“Feel anything?”

“…there’s…there’s something on that second floor.” I murmured, picking at the grass in front of me. “I felt…uneasy.”

“Did you say anything out loud about it?”

“No.”

He sighed heavily and gave me a comforting hug. “Well, the light’s fading so we’re gonna be starting soon, you might want to tell Zak what happened.”

“I figured.”

**~***~**

“We are back in the Lizzie Borden house for another night, we hope to capture more voices and evidence that the souls of the Bordens, who were hacked viciously to death, are still around. Maybe even unearthing the identity of the murderer. Was it Lizzie Borden, the daughter of Andrew and Abby? Or was something darker at work here?” Zak narrated, walking backwards through the ground floor hallway as he was filmed.

The clunk of the locks being put into place set the hairs on the back of my neck on end. My so-called experience was still fresh in my mind, Gracie pawed at the wooden floor as she looked around, I wondered if she could still sense whatever caught her attention earlier.

“Tonight we won’t have a ‘base’ as such but we will split up to cover more ground and try to get different reactions.” Zak continued to babble on, I wasn’t really listening as usual, I kept hearing a quiet thud from above us but none of the others were picking it up so I was reluctant to say anything.

Gracie’s low growling caused Zak to stop recapping the history of the building to Nick’s camera, everyone looked to the dog at the end of the leash in my hand as her growls became louder and more aggressive.

“…what’s wrong Gracie?” Zak asked, crouching down and stroking her. He looked up to me for some kind of hint.

“…she might’ve picked up on something…that I heard.” I uttered, looking up the stairs to the second floor. “It was so quiet I thought I was imagining it.”

“What?” Nick asked, knowing that Zak would just stare at me until I felt uneasy.

“A thud. Not like footsteps, just a thud.”

“How long for?”

“Just a few moments…it’s not been very loud, I thought it was just the house settling.”

Zak and Nick looked to each other before they decided to continue Zak’s intro, acknowledging the noises as they occurred.

“So we’re gonna start…” Zak said, interrupted by a louder thud, he looked up at the ceiling before going back to what he was saying. “-in the basement. Now you guys are probably hearing thuds and bangs from upstairs…we’re going to assume that whatever is making those noises will make itself known later on.”

“Gracie has picked up on it…and we’re gonna have a camera attached to her collar like we did with Ringo last season…hopefully when she’s wondering by herself tonight she’ll capture at least some kind of evidence.” Aaron added, pointing his camera at the black and white dog who was still fixated on the stairs.

“So, let’s turn the lights off, get everyone a camera and get started.” Zak declared, nodding to Billy who handed me a handheld camera and a flashlight.

A few minutes later we were ready to be plunged into darkness, I was in charge of Gracie for the first part of the investigation with strict instructions to keep her on a tight leash, especially in the basement.

The stairs down to the basement were in better condition than others I had experienced in the past, it was fairly crowded down there but it wasn’t as bad as first seemed.

“Oh-kay then, is there anyone here tonight?” Zak called once we were all settled. Gracie seemed to be fairly content. “I’d like you to make your presence known to us, touch one of us, speak, use my dog to communicate.”

We waited in baited silence. “Do you know what happened in 1892 in this building?” Zak continued.

“Are you a child spirit?” He asked, no notable noises being documented. “Were you a victim in this house?”

“Do you want to harm us?”

The questions kept coming, no answers heard, no feelings felt, no reaction from anyone.

“It’s quiet tonight…” Nick murmured.

“Billy, do you and Luna wanna go up to the third floor whilst Nick and I stay down here?” Zak asked after there were still no responses to his questions.

“Yeah sure.” Billy replied, I made a noise in agreement. “We’ll take Gracie yeah?”

“Yeah, Aaron, you go to the stairs and just see if you can document whatever was capturing Gracie’s attention today.”

“Got it dude.”

We split up, Billy and I taking Gracie to the third floor, Aaron sitting in the hallway by the stairs, Nick and Zak remaining in the basement. It was only when we got up there that I realised this was where the drawer opened by itself last time they were here, it was also when we decided to let Gracie off the leash but made sure she stayed with us on the third floor.

I hadn’t really looked around the room, I didn’t know if this was a significant room or not. I could see out into the hallway, there wasn’t much to show for it on the LCD screen.

“Is there anyone up here with us tonight?” I asked. “Make yourself known to us.”

I had a bit more patience than Zak so we sat in silence, I listened to Gracie’s paws padding around as she explored the room, Billy remained quiet for what seemed like an eternity.

“Why were the Bordens murdered?” He asked.

I felt a cold breeze slowly washed over me. “Do you know who killed them?” I asked, “Was it Lizzie?”

We both heard the creaking floorboards in the hallway. Billy whistled for Gracie and she trotted back to us from the otherside of the room, she froze and stared at the door leading to the hallway.

“…what is it Gracie?” I whispered, keeping hold of her collar so she couldn’t bolt. “Do you feel something?”

Another creak, it sounded like the house was settling in the summer heat but the way Gracie was acting was slowly convincing me otherwise.

“Footsteps?” I barely whispered to Billy. “Maybe?”

“…Possibly…” he whispered back. “Hard to tell…”

We waited for another sound to try and figure out whether it was something worth noting on the recording. Gracie whined slightly and tried to wriggle out of my grasp, neither Billy or I made a comment about hearing anything.

“Lizzie are you here with us?” I asked. “Talk to us Lizzie.”

A loud crash startled all three of us, Billy immediately stood up and walked out into the hallway, shining the flashlight into each of the doorways leading off into different rooms. He disappeared into one of them. Gracie growled slightly beside me, headbutting my knee as I stood up to take a closer look around the room I was in.

“Just to clarify; Billy and I both heard a massive crash which he’s now gone to investigate, Gracie’s been reacting to something for the past twenty minutes or so.” I narrated to the camera. “I can’t see anything out of the ordinary, we haven’t heard anything especially bizarre…just the house settling it seems…”

“Luna.” Billy called from the other room. “Can you come in here please?”

I found him in one of the bedrooms looking into the closet. “What’s up?” I asked.

“…there’s this weird feeling…and I…I dunno. Do you feel odd at all?” he muttered, leaning heavily against the door frame.

I sighed and went quiet, just letting my body relax. There weren’t any strange feelings that I could tell but that didn’t mean that Billy wasn’t picking up on something.

“…nope…I’m fine.” I answered after a few moments of silence. “Did you find anything that would’ve made that crash?”

“Nu-uh…I walked in here and then it felt like I was being dragged underwater…maybe it was downstairs?”

“You and I both know it wasn’t downstairs.”

“…did we capture it on the camera’s audio?”

“I don’t know, I’d have to stop recording to find out…we could rewind the digital recorder.”

“Yeah let’s do that.”

We went back to the hallway and rewound the digital recorder, listening intently as we replayed the portion of audio leading up to the moment when we were scared out of our skin.

“ _Lizzie are you here with us?_ ” I asked. “ _Talk to us Lizzie_.”

We were expecting to hear an ear-shattering crash seconds after that, when there was none it was safe to say that we were confused.

“…but…we heard it.” I muttered.

“Maybe we didn’t…” Billy replied, though he sounded unsure. “It isn’t exactly abnormal to hear things but not have them caught on any recordings.”

“…well…that’s…frustrating.”

He laughed slightly, we made our way back to the hallway of the floor. The moment was cut short though by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Yo who is it?” Billy called down.

No reply.

“Aaron? Zak? Nick?” he called.

Still no reply. The footsteps paused briefly before continuing rapidly, almost at a run. Billy shone a flashlight down the stairs, I peered over the railing with the camera.

There was no-one there but the footsteps continued, this time away from us.

“Who’s there?” Billy asked, following the footsteps. “Get Aaron on the radio Luna, something’s running around and it’s headed his way.” He babbled before rushing after the noises of boots against wood.

I fumbled with the radio and managed to raise Aaron, he hadn’t heard or seen anything whatsoever, but could now hear Billy shouting on the second floor at something. In the sudden surge of activity I had lost track of Gracie and I didn’t know if she was still on the same floor as me. I relayed this to Aaron as I started feeling cold spots around me.

After a few moments of silence on the airwaves between us Aaron asked if I was okay up here alone. I gave a half-hearted yes as I was trying to keep my nerves under control, all I had was the camera for a guide, the hallway felt cold but I assumed it was my mind playing cruel tricks on me.

“Luna?” Billy called from the stairs. “Is Gracie up there with you?”

“I-I don’t know…she’s gone, I didn’t hear her go downstairs but…I don’t know Billy.”

“Are you okay up there?”

“I guess. It’s gotten cold.”

“If you feel uneasy or anything just get out of there okay? Don’t stay up there if you don’t want to…”

“Okay.”

I took a few steps back from the railing and went to see if I could find Gracie, whilst wondering around the rooms I felt as if I had walked into a tank of water, like Billy had described earlier. It reminded me of a previous experience, my body was slow to react to what my mind told it to do, I couldn’t tell if I was in a room of importance to the events that occurred in the house but something clearly wasn’t right about it.

“Do you not want me in this room?” I asked, half terrified of getting an answer. “I can leave if you want.”

The door I had walked through slammed. I froze where I stood, surrounded by cold air. The features of the room were literally in the dark, the camera’s IR light did little to illuminate them, the battery was running low which only made me nervous.

“…what do you want?” I asked, battling the urge to run screaming for someone to find me.

A creak from somewhere in front of me, the camera flickered. I held my breath for a few seconds until rational thinking took over; it was the wood expanding in the heat, it was quite a warm evening after all, the door was probably just…the wind…wind that didn’t really exist inside the house, the suspended pools of cold air was something else entirely though.

The flashing icon of the battery drew me back to my situation; alone in the dark, door slammed, cold air around me. The radio buzzed in my pocket, I fumbled around as always until I found the relevant button.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Luna? Where are you?” Zak asked. “We’ve regrouped in the lounge…Billy said you were looking for Gracie but she’s down here with us.”

“I’m on the third floor in one of the rooms, the door slammed shut.” I replied, keeping my voice calm as another creak resonated in the room. “And the room is making weird noises.”

“The room?” he asked, sounding puzzled.

“Creaking…it’s cold up here too.”

“You sound quite calm.”

“…I’ve been told I’m a good actress when I want to be.”

“Okay I’m coming to get you.” He replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda lacked inspiration the past two weeks :/ I spent nearly 3 days just rereading this chapter because something didn't seem right - so apologies if this chapter is a little bit disjointed - mainly because I've lost my notes for the next few chapters so I'm desperately trying to find them asap (especially as I'm going away on holiday soon).  
> That and I've had a few personal issues over the past few days...so yeah, even when I'm not in class I'm stressed out about something or other.   
> As always, thanks for reading guys, thanks for leaving kudos - it really means a lot! :3


	23. Ripple effect

**Ripple effect**

After being taken from the third floor Zak informed us that we were going to be conducting a group EVP session in the lounge where Andrew Borden was found. Having seen the footage from the last investigation they did here I was aware of how quickly the energy in the room could change.

We settled down around a coffee table, two digital recorders, an EMF detector and a REM pod all lined up on the table. Nick’s camera was focused on the line of devices, Aaron’s shooting the room along with the static x-camera, and I had a handheld camera, as did Zak and Billy. Gracie sat under the table as we waited in silence for Zak to start asking questions.

“Okay, if it turns ugly we tread carefully…if you start feeling anything bad then say something. We can’t mess around here guys.” Zak murmured. “Got it?”

“Yeah.” Nick and Aaron replied.

“So…what do we do if someone gets…um…injured?” I asked slowly, weary of my word choice, I hoped Zak knew what I was getting at.

“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.” Zak replied, reaching over and squeezing my hand comfortingly.

“So who wants to start?” Billy asked.

We sat in silence for a few moments before Zak inhaled deeply. “Andrew Borden, do you remember us? Let us know if you do.”

At first there was no response, the atmosphere in the room seemed unchanged, no-one said anything, Gracie was relaxed.

“Andrew, tell us who murdered you.” Zak demanded.

Still nothing.

“I think we need to flush a reaction out of Andrew.” Nick sighed after no audible responses. “Any ideas?”

“Andrew Borden I command you to show yourself to us.” Zak loudly said after a few moment of silence.

“Tell us who murdered you Andrew.” Nick added.

There was silence, it seemed that there was limited activity tonight in the house yet what activity had taken place had occurred when we were split up.

“Abby are you here with us?” I asked. “Can you talk to us?”

The REM pod started reacting, it was a low tone in the silence, all our eyes focused on the blue light as it continued resonating.

“Abby is that you? Can you make the light go red?” Billy asked.

After a few moments the pod’s light went out, the tone ceased, the air got cold. I felt nervous all of a sudden, Nick inhaled deeply beside me. I could vaguely sense that something was approaching but it was so sudden that I doubted its reliability.

“When we were here last time…someone got very agitated with us. Can whoever was with us last time make their presence known to us?” Zak asked slowly.

I braced myself for all kinds of stuff to start happening. My skin felt like it was crawling, the others seemed to be unaffected, even Gracie seemed to be content. The EMF detector started going crazy; its shrill beep startling everyone in the silence.

“Is that you? Andrew? Lizzie?” Zak asked, his voice on edge. “Say something.”

I started feeling uncomfortable, something about the sudden presence wasn’t sitting right. I recalled that the female guests on the last lockdown possibly stirred some activity up by just being there. It wouldn’t surprise me if that was why I felt anxious.

“Andrew, did you have an inappropriate relationship with your daughter?” Zak asked, his voice low. He was playing with fire again, playing on rumours. “I mean you no disrespect Mr Borden I just want the facts.”

The EMF detector silenced itself. A loud hiss came from the doorway to the hall, Gracie growled in reply but didn’t move from under the table.

“…Andrew is that why Lizzie murdered you?” Billy asked, quieter than Zak.

The presence in the room was suffocating, it was something dark I could almost guarantee that. I tried to keep my thoughts on track but it was hard to ignore the fear I was feeling.

Nick sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

“Nick are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah…the atmosphere’s just…tense.” He murmured in reply.

“Yeah I feel it too.” I said, “It’s dark whatever it is.”

Zak was turning restless beside me, I turned towards him; the camera’s IR light glossing over him.

“Zak…where did you get that axe?” I asked slowly, watching the weapon twirl between his hands.

“Huh? Oh it was on the table.” He replied, “Why?”

“Anyone getting déjà vu from the Stanley hotel?” Aaron remarked. “Zak and the axe…put it down bro.”

“Why? I’m not gonna go psycho on you guys.”

“Don’t give them ideas.” Nick muttered into his hands. “I have such a bad feeling right now dude.”

“Same here Nick.” Billy sighed. “Just this feeling of…dread.”

I wasn’t feeling this ‘dread’ they were talking about, just a sense that something else was here with us. Gracie had been reasonably quiet and she wasn’t showing any signs of distress like Nick and Billy were, I was still weary of Zak having the axe; the memory of the investigation at the Stanley hotel came flooding back from the creepy basement that no-one knew about to finding him holding a lumberjack’s axe which was ‘given’ to him.

“Zak…c-can I have the axe?” I asked, placing a hand on top of his. “Please.”

He looked at me with a puzzled expression. “Uh…sure? Careful though the head could pack a punch if you drop it on your foot or something.”

I took it in my free hand and rested it on my lap, my fingers ghosting over the blunted blade. I felt a little calmer now that I had control over it. I caught Nick staring at me with a hint of apprehension in his expression.

“Yes Nick?” I asked.

“…I keep…getting flashing images in my head of blood splattering on the walls and that.” He answered. “And images of that axe.”

I subconsciously gripped the handle. “Really…”

“Who’s here with us?” Zak suddenly called loudly. “I know you’re in this room, I know you have something to do with what Nick is experiencing.”

I kept my gaze on Nick, or at least where Nick was in the darkness, something about the way he said ‘ _that axe_ ’ made me feel slightly uneasy and that uneasiness also made me question why I was actually so keen to take the axe from Zak in the first place.

The room got cold, really cold, my arms were shaking and causing the camera I was holding to shake as well so I balanced it on the arm of the couch – the couch Andrew Borden was murdered on – and positioned it to capture Nick’s movements. I wasn’t convinced he was behaving as normal and wanted some kind of evidence of it.

“Feel that chill in the air?” Aaron asked. “Brrr…”

“Show yourself Andrew.” Zak demanded. “Show yourself to us now.”

Nick stood up abruptly and walked out into the hall in silence, leaving his camera on the table shooting the line of equipment.

“Nick?” Aaron asked as the door swayed in the draught he left.

“What’s wrong with him?” Zak asked, a sense of distress in his voice.

“I dunno he just bolted without warning.” Aaron answered.

“Well go find out what’s wrong then!”

“Alright guys…keep it calm…” Billy ordered, this just got ugly.

“I am calm.” Aaron stated.

“Same here dude.” Zak muttered.

I could feel the presence in the room increasing, it made the hairs on my neck stand on end, it was cold, there was tension between us. It was the perfect recipe for all hell to break loose within seconds.

“I think we should take a breather…” I murmured after we had fallen into an uncomfortable silence. “Refresh the batteries in everything, compose ourselves…find out what Nick’s up to.”

“I agree.” Billy said almost instantly, jumping in before Zak had a chance to say anything. “We’ll do that.”

I could tell there was friction within the group now, more so between Billy and Zak, probably centred around how this lockdown was slowly descending into chaos with no clear decisions being made about how we were going about this before launching into what could only be described as an interrogation. Which isn’t really a good work ethic in my opinion.

Either way no-one was taking the axe from me, I wasn’t gonna be responsible for it mysteriously disappearing only to come flying out of the darkness and nearly taking someone’s head off. Heck Zak had a habit of literally asking spirits to hack his face off, one of his methods of gathering evidence that I didn’t approve of in the slightest.

I remained in the lounge with Aaron and Gracie as the other two went to find spare batteries but more importantly; Nick.

“I still feel something’s here with us.” Aaron sighed after a few moments.

“Yeah…I actually think it’s beginning to target one or two of us…” I replied. “Mainly Nick though.”

“How are you holding up?”

“…okay I guess…I’m not quite sure what came over me but now I’m in possession of an axe which is probably the last thing that should be happening.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well everyone’s under the assumption that Lizzie was the one who murdered her parents, as I’m the only female here then it is reasonable to suggest that perhaps her energy may…impact me in some way.” I explained. “Maybe she’s already done just that with my sudden impulse to take the axe from Zak.”

“Uh-huh…” Aaron replied. “…interesting take on it.”

“So basically…maybe I’m the one we need to worry about turning into a psycho.”

“Do you want me to take it?”

I didn’t reply, every rational thought in my mind told me to give it to Aaron, the guy who was the protector of the group, the one who rarely let his guard down. However there was something else telling me that I had to keep it for my own protection.

Protection against what, I did not know.

“…yes…” I eventually answered quietly.

He slowly ambled over and placed a hand on the handle, my hand suddenly clamped tightly around what grip I still had on it.

“Uh…Luna?”

“Huh?” I asked.

“…you said I could have the axe.” He sounded halfway between worry and fear.

“…yes?”

“Could you let go then?”

I blinked in the darkness. “Yeah sure.” I let go like the wood was on fire, my hand was ice cold as Aaron retreated back to his seat across the room. I felt very off-task all of a sudden, Gracie’s slight whine from under the table pulled me back into reality.

“What is it girl?” Aaron asked.

She replied with a bark and then the scampering of paws on the floor alerted us to something else entirely. A low growl that wasn’t from any kind of animal let alone Gracie resonated through the room. I grabbed my camera and stood up, hearing Aaron do the same I walked forward a few paces, locating Gracie’s form standing fixated on the other door out of the room.

“Grab the EMF detector.” Aaron ordered, I did as he said and held it in front of my camera, it was flat EMF-wise but the temperature beckoned other ideas.

“41.” I declared. “I guess that would say that it’s officially cold here still.”

“Who’s there?” Aaron asked, “Talk to us.”

Zak and Billy chose that moment to walk back in and were understandably confused.

“What’s happening?” Zak asked.

“We heard another growl, Gracie’s fixed on something around that doorway and it’s colder than earlier according to the temperature gauge on the EMF detector.” Aaron hurriedly explained.

“Where’s Nick?” I asked

“Taking a breather.” Billy replied, taking the EMF detector from me and walking towards the door. “He’s pretty out of it.”

A wave of dread hit me, Gracie whined and backed away sharpish from the doorway, opting to hide behind my legs as Billy walked closer to what just looked like a black hole on the camera’s screen.

“Andrew are you here?” Zak barked.

“Zak maybe it’s not Andrew…” I murmured. “Maybe it’s Lizzie.”

I could almost tell that he gave me a quizzical look before calling out again. “Lizzie? Is there something you want to say to us?”

The dread was only growing, I think I struck the nail on the head. I took a step back, feeling Gracie move with me. I was beginning to see flash images of blood like Nick had described, but these were horrific; I saw the bodies of each of the guys hacked, blood everywhere, I heard maniacal laughter but couldn’t tell if it was just in my head.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, I screamed backed away.

“Luna?” Zak’s worried voice halted all the laughter.

“…Y-Yes?” I panted, arms up in front of me as if to defend me.

“What’s wrong?” A flashlight came on illuminating Zak’s concerned face, he took a step towards me, I flinched. “Sweetheart…”

“I…I…I saw.” I choked out, slowly lowering my arms. “Blood everywhere…and…” I was shaking partly from the cold and partly from fear.

Before I could register it I was wrapped in Zak’s arms, my body tensed up momentarily until my rational thoughts took control.

I was okay. I was safe. I didn’t have an axe. Aaron had the axe. Everything was fine

“…Zak…” I whispered.

“It’s okay. Let’s get you out of this room.” He replied, taking my hands in his and leading me quickly into the hallway, Nick was sat on the stairs with his head in his hands, he looked up at us as Zak sat me down next to him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, he sounded tired and pained.

I shook my head, still trying to get my thoughts in order.

“She said something about seeing blood everywhere.” Zak replied for me, kneeling down so he was at eye-level with me. He held my face in his hands and studied my expression as I looked at him.

“…I don’t know…what happened it just hit me.” I babbled.

“Shhh…it’s okay…it’s okay.” He whispered, I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder which I assumed to be Nick. “I’m gonna go back in there okay? You stay here with Nick.”

I nodded, he smiled and pressed his forehead to mine before straightening up and walking back into the lounge.

I sighed heavily and leaned back against the stairs, at least we were ‘allowed’ to have a flashlight on right now.

“You okay?” Nick asked quietly.

“I guess…it just freaked me out a little…I mean whilst I was in that room I felt this weird presence influencing my thoughts and actions. I didn’t know who or what it was, whether it was bad or not, what it wanted…”

“Yeah, I kinda had this vibe of dread occurring and then I started seeing like flash images of blood and just violence…hacking…” his voice faded and he sighed.

“I had images of…blood…hacking people…people I knew, mutilated so much that I nearly didn’t recognise them.”

“Sounds…bad.”

“It was.”

“…what is up with this place?”

“It’s saturated in darkness and death.”

“…true.”

I rubbed my eyes, wishing I had Jay for comfort, I could hear Zak demanding for answers in the lounge.

“Hey Nick?”

“Yeah?”

“Fancy going up to Lizzie’s room and doing a calm EVP session? Maybe we can get through to her better up there without the others.”

He sighed. “Yeah sure, at least we’ll be doing something useful.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have discovered that listening to Japanese rock music helps get rid of my writer's block :D


	24. From one soul to another

**From one soul to another**

Nick never liked to be sat doing nothing, he always wanted to be doing something. He was a lot like Zak in that respect except when he became exhausted – one way or another – he would admit defeat and take some time off. Zak rarely did so.

Which is why I wasn’t too surprised when he didn’t resist my suggestion to do and EVP session in Lizzie’s room, who knew how long the others would spend in the lounge provoking whoever was in there with them. I was happy to be out of there, I felt a lot calmer now, even if a little fatigued.

We made our way up to the room which was reportedly Lizzie’s back in the day. It was a standard B&B room; bed, small TV, ensuite bathroom, a small dresser. Nothing special in it.

“So do you wanna start or should I?” I asked, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed.

“You can start, it was your idea in the first place.” He answered.

I nodded and set the digital recorder down in front of me, my camera in my hands acting as my eyes. “Lizzie are you here with us?” I asked. “We don’t mean you any harm, we just want to talk to you.”

The room remained silent, it wasn’t a disappointing silence though. I could somewhat tell that there was possibly someone with us but they were reluctant to say anything, not surprising really.

“I’m not going to get forceful, I don’t think that’s always the best way of communicating.” I said. “Can you just let us know that you’re here? You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do Lizzie.”

A chill rushed through the room, I felt the goosebumps break out on my arms.

“Is it me or did it just get colder in here?” Nick whispered.

“Yes…was that you Lizzie?”

There was no immediate response.

“Lizzie can you make a noise for us? Knock on the door or walls, say something?” I pursued, keeping my voice light and calm. I didn’t want her to think I was only here for evidence, I wanted to talk to her, maybe uncover what happened back in 1892 but that was a secondary concern for me. I wanted her to feel comfortable tonight, she still felt emotions after all.

A faint thud from beside me caught my attention. I stared through the LCD screen at the wall, between the bed and the wall there was nothing that could’ve fallen or made any noise similar to a thud.

“Did you hear that Nick?” I whispered.

“Yeah. Can you do it again for us Lizzie?” he asked.

A louder thud from the same spot replied. “Thank-you Lizzie, could you maybe talk to us? Anything you want, I don’t mind, but we’d like to hear your voice.” I continued.

We sat in silence for a few moments before I tried a different tactic.

“Lizzie, you didn’t get along with Mrs Borden did you? She wasn’t your real mother was she?”

“ _…bitch._ ” A sharp hiss rang in my ear. I leaned away from where the hiss came from, it was also the same side of the room that the thuds had occurred.

“…did you think of her as a bitch Lizzie?” I asked uncertainly, eyeing the darkness beside me.

Another cold blast of air whipped around the room, I looked to where Nick was probably still stood for some kind of assistance.

“Did you try to kill her before both her and your father were found dead?” he asked. “Poison maybe?”

“Cyanide?” I added. “But it didn’t work did it Lizzie? It only gave them food poisoning.”

I felt the presence in the room darken, I didn’t want to make her angry but I wanted a response, Zak’s attitude towards investigating was rubbing off on me again.

“Sorry Lizzie…I didn’t mean to offend you…” I quickly apologised. “I understand why you did it if you did. We know that your father had been signing off his estate to other family members but left you and your sister out of it.”

Silence.

“If my father did that to my sister and I…well…I certainly wouldn’t be happy either. Not that we have an estate like this but still, the betrayal and broken ties are enough to put ideas in your head…”

The room began to return to the passive atmosphere it originally had. “Lizzie I’m not going to accuse you of murdering them but what I will say is I don’t blame you entirely if you _did_ murder them.” I continued. “It was okay for you to be upset with them, anyone would’ve been.”

“I think what people tend to overlook is the events leading up to that day…which is pretty sad really.” Nick added. “They don’t really take into consideration the ordeal you went through.”

“Which is why it would be great if you could talk into this recorder; we can tell people what you say and maybe fix some of the history that everyone might’ve gotten wrong.”

I had nothing else to say, it was up to Lizzie’s spirit now to reach out to us. At first there was only silence, I tried to keep myself from moving too much as that could’ve contaminated the recording. After what had felt like an eternity I began to feel slightly…sad…woeful…I wasn’t sure why.

“Nick?” I whispered.

“Yeah?” he said quietly. “What’s up?”

“…a sudden wave of sadness just washed over me.” I murmured. “Lizzie, are you trying to-”

Before I could ask her anything the door – which had been closed the entire time we had been up here – swung open with ease. I heard Nick exclaim as the door hit the wall and bounced back slightly. My camera focused in and out for a few seconds before settling down again.

“Good enough answer?” Nick murmured, now beside me. “I can’t tell if that was malicious or not.”

I heard Zak talking loudly downstairs, we were only one floor up from the lounge so it wasn’t surprising really that we could hear him, he sounded like he was in the middle of an interrogation. Maybe it was a sign though.

“Do you want them to stop yelling?” I asked, a shot – literally – in the dark.

The door then slammed shut, the camera’s display jumped and distorted slightly. A series of loud footsteps came from outside in the hall and then Zak’s voice.

“Luna? Nick? Are you up here?” he called.

“Yeah in here dude.” Nick replied.

The door opened slightly and Zak’s confused but relieved face appeared in the opening.

“You had me worried guys…”

A sharp hiss rang in my ear again, I was beginning to gather that Lizzie didn’t like Zak very much.

“Zak…don’t come in.” I murmured. “I-I don’t think Lizzie likes you.”

He gave me a puzzled look, “I’ll explain dude.” Nick sighed. “Outside though.”

They both cleared out of the room, leaving me in the darkness.

“So…do you not like Zak then Lizzie?” I asked, this was going to be one hell of an audio file to examine if we were capturing answers to these questions. “May I ask why?”

The muffled voices of Zak and Nick were a little distracting to say the least.

“Does he remind you of your father? Has he said something that offended you?”

I didn’t feel that Lizzie was with me anymore, something about Zak interrupting us might’ve thrown everything off. The muffles outside the door ceased and I heard footsteps fading away and down the stairs. I expected Nick to walk back in so was a little puzzled when Zak came in instead.

“Sup?” he asked.

“Nothing much, I don’t think she’s here anymore.” I replied, casting my eyes around the darkness. “Doesn’t feel like it anyway.”

“So are you able to feel presences now then?” he asked, sitting beside me on the bed. “I don’t recall you being able to do that much before.”

“Well ever since Jay decided to follow me I guess my senses have been…tweaked…and considering he’s not here anymore…I reckon there’s nothing really stopping me from picking up on other presences.”

“…I see…how are you coping without Jay?”

“I haven’t had any more nightmares if that’s what you’re getting at.” I bluntly replied. “I don’t know why they even occurred in the first place. Just past events catching up…Jay might’ve dug too deep.”

“You’re on edge.”

“…so?”

“So…why?”

I didn’t reply, I didn’t know what he was talking about.

“Luna you said Lizzie’s not ‘here’…”

“I’m not being channelled Zak.” I sighed.

“Okay, just asking.”

We fell into silence, I somehow doubted he came up here just to find out where we had gotten to.

“So what are you doing up here Zak? What’s going on downstairs?”

He didn’t reply for a few moments, the silence was deafening almost. The room was inactive, I couldn’t sense anyone with us which somewhat made this silence ten times worse.

“We’ve caught some…disturbing EVPs…” he eventually answered. “And Billy’s trying to pick out any actual threats…it’s gotten dark down there, real dark.”

“So what you’re saying is you’re fearing for my safety as always?” I remarked.

“Am I that predictable?”

“Yep.”

“Well when you think about what happened…last time-”

“You know, Lizzie seemed harmless when she was here with Nick and I. I think she’s been misunderstood all this time.” I cut him off. “I mean everyone assumes Lizzie did it, which I’m not going to argue with but we didn’t exactly tell the cameras about _all_ of the history.”

“…yeah…I know…”

“…sorry…I just…yeah.”

“It’s okay darling. It’s been a long night.”

“So what now? Are you going back downstairs?”

“I’m waiting for Nick to come back, if Billy’s found some threats then…depending on how bad they are will depend on what is said and who it’s directed at will decide whether we continue.”

I felt his hand gently rest on my shoulder, I turned towards his grasp and leaned into his hold. He pulled me closer to him and we sat there in the dark just listening to each other’s breathing. The camera and digital recorder were still rolling, I half-heartedly panned the camera around to see if the room was displaying anything of immediate interest, which it didn’t. My body was beginning to tire and sitting in the dark was making it harder to resist falling asleep, especially as Zak kissed the side of my forehead slowly.

After a while I caught myself actually falling asleep, I had let my arm fall gently to the bed with the camera still in my grasp and was leaning heavily against Zak.

“Shit…” I muttered, sitting up and rubbing my neck.

“What?” he asked, he sounded as if he wasn’t far from sleeping either.

“I was falling asleep.” I replied. “And I bet you were too.”

He laughed slightly. “Might’ve been…we ought to see what the hell is going on downstairs, god knows where Nick got to…I told him to come and get me when Billy was finished.”

Within seconds of exiting the room I felt an instant change of atmosphere, the hallway felt tense, like the tunnel to a sports pitch, the impending darkness in the lounge drawing closer with every step. We found the guys crowded around Billy’s laptop looking at an audio clip, puzzled and worried expressions on their faces.

“What did you find Bill?” Zak asked, placing a hand on the back of Billy’s chair.

“Not good dude…” the other man sighed. “It sounds pissed…and it certainly doesn’t like being challenged.”

“Have we got any solid threats?”

“Just this one so far.” He selected a portion of the clip and played it on a loop.

“ _…come closer…I’ll kill you…_ ” was what I eventually made it out to be, it sent a chill down my spine.

“So…where and when was this captured?”

“Just as you were leaving to find Nick and Luna.”

An uncomfortable silence fell, Aaron and Nick just looked at each other in the dimly lit room, Billy shuffled in his seat, Zak paced slightly, in thought, I crouched down and ruffled Gracie’s fur as we waited for Zak’s verdict.

“What time is it?” He eventually asked.

“Little after three.” Nick replied. “Thinking of calling it?”

Zak nodded, reaching over Billy to play the clip again. The raspy voice rang out in the silence and sent another chill down my spine.

“Yeah. I’m calling it. Collect the cameras and recorders…let’s get out of here.” There was something in his voice that concerned me, more than fatigue and worry…something else entirely.

**~***~**

It was a little after five when we got into our hotel room, I was expecting to just hit the deck and sleep until noon. Apparently Zak had other ideas.

“Hey…stay up a little longer…” he murmured as I slipped under the covers. I looked up into his tired eyes, a soft smile played on his lips.

“Sure…any particular reason why?” I replied, shuffling into his hold, his warm chest that had one or two hickeys on it feeling soft against my cheek.

“I just want to lie here…talk…just after that lockdown…” he sighed.

“Yeah…it was…emotional.” I mumbled, fighting off sleep every moment I lay there in his arms.

“Can I ask you something?”

My heart skipped a beat. “…yeah…”

“Jay. Do you miss him?”

“Yeah…I mean…he was like my twin.” I sighed, relieved. “Why?”

“Billy’s noticed you’ve been quieter than usual since Poveglia…and the visit to see the bishop.” He explained. “I was just putting two and two together.”

“Oh…okay.”

“He mentioned something about a theory…it’s a working progress and he didn’t tell me anything other than he’s got an idea on how to possibly get Jay back.”

“No summoning him. We don’t need any Ouija board crap happening.”

“God no darling, we’d never do that.” He chuckled, shuffling so that we were face-to-face, the early morning light was beginning to flood the room. Getting sleep would soon be problematic.

“Good, that’s the last thing we need…”

We let the silence fall, he kissed my lips gently, stroking my cheek and pulling me close to him.

“…fancy having some fun later on?” he purred. “I feel like I need to…”

“To what?” I hummed in reply, pressing myself against him.

“To prove how much I love you as many times as possible before you leave again...”

“You’ve done enough…Christmas for one…Venice…”

“I know…I’ll miss you so much…I mean…”

I silenced him by kissing him. “It’s okay.” I whispered. “Sure…later…breathe a word of it to the others and I’ll tell them about the whip cream incident on Christmas morning.”

He flushed red. “I won’t tell a living soul.” He muttered. “Or dead for that matter.”

I smirked, “Good, now I want sleep…correction…we both _need_ sleep.”

“Hah…okay…”

I rolled over and let him wrap his arms around me. He kissed my neck and sighed heavily. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” I whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...the next chapter might take a little longer as I'm going on holiday soon and I need to pack and do a lot of other stuff before I go (including writing enough to upload whilst I'm away as I'm unlikely to have internet connection in the middle of Wales)
> 
> so yeah, I am being so productive this summer. :D


	25. "Wanna cookie?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (25/7/2015) I read the original note for this chapter and wondered what the fuck I was babbling about. After rereading this chapter I now know.  
> On the premise that I don't remember Luna's age (it's been 2 years since finishing this okay!) I see it only fit to warn new readers that the next scene is a sex scene and if that is problematic then skip to the ~***~ which signifies the end of the scene or skip this chapter entirely.
> 
> Once I remember/get told by a helpful reader what her age is then I will edit this note accordingly.
> 
> Thank-you for understanding and I hope you enjoy (even if it's terribly written cause I had no experience of sex when I wrote this).

**"Wanna cookie?"**

The day was cool and relaxing, the recorded footage and audio was being sorted out, there was a lot of it as always and Billy was drowning in audio clips; even with Aaron’s help. Zak and I helped out, we took the video footage and sat through it, we didn’t get many hits – a few orbs and a possible shadow but nothing compared to past lockdowns. The sun was setting when the last tape ended, we had taken the laptop into our hotel room so we didn’t distract Billy and Aaron, Nick was out with his family again so he had escaped analysis duty…lucky him.

“Ugh…I need to unwind after sitting still for so long…” Zak sighed, leaning back on the bed.

“I’m sure you do, you don’t seem to have a particularly long attention span….” I remarked, closing the laptop and putting it on the desk by the window. I closed the curtains on the darkening sky and turned around, turning right into Zak’s arms.

“Shh…I have a long attention span I’ll have you know…” he purred, his hands lingering at my hips as he kissed my neck. “In fact you _should_ know.”

I laughed slightly, wrapping my arms around him. “I have a vague recollection of that…I don’t know though…you’ll have to show me.”

He threaded his fingers through the belt loops of my jeans and stepped away from me, lightly tugging at them to get me to follow him. I complied, letting him lead me to stand in between his legs as he sat on the edge of the bed. I watched his eyes travel down my body, biting his lip as they returned to looking into mine.

“Wow…you know you’re beautiful right?” he whispered. “I mean…I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“Stop with the cheesy one-liners…” I giggled, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t have to keep coming out with them like fortune cookies.”

“You love them really…you blush everytime.”

I pressed my lips onto his, pushing him back so he laid down, not breaking contact as I held myself above him. He moaned slightly, pressing his hips up to meet mine, I could feel he was already half-hard and I had barely touched him.

“You’re wearing too many clothes…” he sighed, when I broke away from him.

“So are you.” I replied, running a hand down his covered chest and toying with the hem of his shirt.

“I’ll lose mine if you lose yours.”

“…deal…and don’t double-cross me like last time or I’ll tell them about the incident.”

His eyes turned slightly predatory before a smirk broke out. “Of course…why would I _ever_ double-cross you?”

“Shut up and strip you dope.”

I rolled off of him and pulled my shirt and jeans off, I was barely ready to roll back onto him in my underwear when he caged me against the mattress.

“I wasn’t aware you were a control freak Zak.” I murmured, instinctively wrapping my legs around his waist.

“There’s a few things I don’t really broadcast to the world…my habits in the bedroom one of them.”

“Enough talk…” I said, sliding a hand underneath my back to unclasp my bra. “The night’s slowly disappearing.”

His fingers joined mine as I arched my back, with a simple click and some co-operation between us the garment was discarded with the rest of the clothing. He kissed my neck, sucking on the skin, slowly moving down to my chest, delicately pressing kisses to the sensitive skin. I bit my lip as he paid each of my breasts equal attention; his tongue leaving me on edge.

I tightened my legs around his waist, he pressed against me, his eyes flicking up to watch mine as he grazed my nipple. I buried my face in my arm in some attempt to hide my arousal. I heard him laugh slightly and felt his lips ghost over my jawline.

“You’re adorable.” He whispered, grinding his hips against mine.

“It’s times like this that I think you’re a sadist.” I muttered.

“I wonder about that too sometimes…” he purred, kissing each of my breasts as he rubbed circles into my hips; easing my leg’s hold on his waist slowly. “Look at me Luna…” his tone soft but commanding. I peeled my flustered face from my arm and looked at him, his eyes were calm, a faint smirk dancing on his lips.

“Y-Yes?” I stammered.

He hooked a finger under the waistband of my panties and eased them off, not losing eye contact with me the entire time. I bit my lip as he lightly ran a finger over my core and kissed my neck.

“Don’t be a t-tease…” I sighed as he repeated the action.

“You tease me everyday.” He muttered, his low-predatory tone enough to send a shiver down my spine

“I don’t mean to…”

He stared right at me as he started press a finger into me, if I hadn’t of been wet already then it probably would’ve hurt a lot more, Zak’s fingers weren’t exactly thin…

“Not too painful?” he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“…nu-uh…” I sighed, burying my face in his neck. “…just…do something…don’t just stop. It hurts when you stop.”

He made a quiet noise of understanding. I felt his finger curl slightly inside me, sending sparks through my body, as he continued gently stretching me in preparation for what was yet to come.

I ran my hands through his hair and tugged on the strands as my thoughts were quickly abandoning me in favour of pleasure.

“Hey…easy now you little minx.” He chuckled in my ear. “My hair’s my pride and joy ya’know.” His voice was far too calm for my liking.

“…I’ll tug harder if you don’t lose the rest of your clothing soon.” I hissed in reply, feeling him smirk against my neck.

“Fine then.” He whispered. “Have it your way.” He thrust his finger deeper into me causing me to throw my head back before abruptly pulling out and slipping away out of my grasp. Barely seconds later he was back; pressing between my legs, biting and sucking at my neck as I clung to his biceps, my senses overwhelmed by the sensation of his body touching mine in all right places.

“Z-Zak…” I sighed as he pressed against me. “I said don’t be a tease…”

“And I’m ignoring that.” He replied, squeezing one of my hips as if to make a point, he smiled and rested his forehead against mine. I pressed my lips to his and slid my tongue past his, pulling him down so our chests met, he gradually stopped teasing me and just concentrated his efforts on my lips. The need for air left us staring at each other panting, his eyes were glazed over and he was wearing his relaxed goofy smile.

“Tired already?” I panted. “Or just out of practice?”

“Oh I’m just getting started.” He murmured, kissing me roughly as he snapped back into his more dominant mind-set. “If that’s okay with you.” A trace of needing reassurance washed over his slightly worn expression.

“Skip the preliminaries and get to the main event, it’s not like we’ve not had sex before.” I told him, my voice cracking slightly.

He smiled and nodded, backing away and leaving me to try and regain what little composure I had left. After hearing the familiar sound of a wrapper tearing open and watching him prepare his cock – which I still didn’t really believe actually fit inside me – he positioned himself between my legs again.

“Ready?” he asked, leaning over and brushing his lips against mine.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I replied, biting my lip slightly as he smirked.

“’kay then.”

I was thankful for what little preparation Zak had put me through, it made his first move into me less painful by far. He was cautious, treating me like I was made of china, he’d soon lose that nature as he got needier. I ran my fingers down his chest, feeling the tense muscles underneath, his pulse was racing as he slowly thrust inside of me.

“You’re tighter than usual.” He murmured, pressing a little further into me. I let a small moan escape my lips.

“So?” I whispered. “I thought you liked working for it.”

“We’ve really got to work on our dirty talk.” He laughed. “It’s cringe-worthy”

“Shut up Zak…you’re ruining the mood.” I sighed, running hands through his hair again. “Or do I have to start pulling your hair again?”

That seemed to grab his attention, he bit down on my neck and grinded into me harshly, I wrapped my legs around his waist again. His pace quickened after a few moments, I began to feel light-headed, it felt so good, so right, sparks were being sent through my body with every movement he made. Small breathless moans escaped both of us, he ran a hand through my hair and tugged my head to the side before biting and sucking on the exposed skin.

“So you _do_ have a vampire fetish…” I panted as he paused slightly in harsh rhythm.

He didn’t say anything in reply, he just looked me in the eyes and smirked. My wrists were taken in one of his hands and pulled above my head, his lips ghosting over my chest once more as I lay exposed to him.

“What was that?” he whispered harshly in my ear, stilling inside of me again. I tightened the grip my legs had on his waist and buried my face in my arm.

“Just…just fuck me Zak…” I breathed. “I want you.”

He grunted slightly, capturing my lips with his in a rough clash of tongue and teeth, pace quickening again until I couldn’t supress the moans that so badly wanted to escape my body. Zak’s grip on my wrists was firm even though I could somewhat tell he was losing himself, his other hand was brushing over my body, squeezing and pinching the sensitive skin that he came across, surely leaving marks. Sweat made the dim light reflect off his warming body, he made an effort to kiss me but for the most part he just broke away panting and focused more on his thrusts; biting his lip as my eyes met his.

I somewhat struggled against his grip on my wrists, wanting badly to run my hands over his body, instead his hold tightened slightly, he raised an eyebrow at me. With a half-hearted smirk he pressed further inside of me, I threw my head back onto the bed as I felt myself embrace him, a breathless moan leaving my lips. I heard him make a similar noise as he nearly collapsed on top of me.

“Fuck….” He breathed, making an effort to keep his pace consistent. I was quickly reaching the point of orgasm. I eased out of his faltering grip on my wrists and wrapped my arms around his neck, one hand in his hair and the other clutching at his back. I pulled him down on top of me and kissed him; it was sloppy and breathless but felt so right.

“….Z-Zak…I-I’m…” I moaned, breaking away from his lips and digging my nails into his back.

He hissed slightly at my touch, resting his forehead on mine as he slowed his pace, thrusting deeper rather than faster. It set my nerves on edge, our tired pants filling the air between us as we both hung on the edge of ecstasy.

“…I’m…not as young…as I use to be…” he murmured between pants.

“You’re fine…fucking fine.” I replied, burying my face in his neck as he thrust into me again. Barely another minute passed when my composure failed, he altered the angle he was pressing into me ever so slightly, just enough to hit a certain spot and send an overwhelming sensation through my body. I let go of him and fell back onto the bed, a stammered moan passing through my lips as I blissed out. Zak continued to the point where he surely bruised my hips from his vice-like grip, I was too out of it to care, and stilled inside of me. He steadied himself with one of his arms on the mattress; his other hand gently stroking my thigh.

“…oh my _god_ …” he whispered. “…oh Luna…Luna…my sweet Luna.”

“Mmm…Zak…” I whispered in reply. “…Zak…”

He slowly pulled away from me, disappearing into the bathroom for a few moments before slipping behind me on the sheets and wrapping his arms around me.

“Tired?” I asked, turning to face him.

“Just a lil’…”

“Can we at least get into bed properly?”

“…no…” he half-heartedly chuckled, kissing my forehead before closing his eyes.

I sighed heavily and pressed into his hold, feeling my pulse begin to settle down, the aches and pains of the sex that had just occurred would be felt in the morning.

All was well in my world.

**~***~**

A harsh knock at the door spurred me awake, my body ached, the darkness surprised me, Zak was asleep still. The knocking continued, followed by laughter. I eased myself out of his hold and pulled on a pair of shorts and one of the shirts I wore to bed as well as some underwear.

When I pulled open the door and was greeted with a plate of cookies by Nick, it was safe to say I wanted to jam his head in the door…but cookies were too good to seriously injure him like that and I was starving anyway. Instead I gestured for him, and the other two goofballs who were with him, to be quiet whilst I found my cardkey and closed the door behind me as I stepped into the hallway.

“Wanna cookie?” Nick asked, fighting back laughter.

I took one from the plate and shook my head in defeat. “Sheesh you guys…” I sighed, biting into it. “How you didn’t wake Zak up is a mystery.”

“Maybe you tired him out too much?” Billy remarked.

“Shhh…what time is it?” I asked, not bothering to rise to Billy’s remark.

“Like…one am.” Aaron snorted, holding his phone up to me. No doubt there was going to be an Aaron’s vlog out of this.

“That explains a lot then.” I murmured between bites as I looked at the small camera lens in the phone.

“What?” Nick asked, “Hey maybe Zak wants a cookie!”

“No! Shush! He’s asleep you morons.”

“Yes…and getting a wake-up call with cookies is sure to please him.” Nick smirked, it was that infamous smirk that always means that he’s plotting something.

“I doubt that.”

Aaron and Billy were sniggering about something, I didn’t want to know what, Nick just offered the plate to me with a wink. “How could he deny cookies from you?”

“Oh I am not waking him up for cookies.” I stated. “Especially for a vlog.” I added, after remembering that Zak was led on our bed naked and asleep, an image that wouldn’t be in any hurry to leave my mind.

“Why not?” Billy chipped in. “Got something to hide?”

This was one of those moments where I felt well and truly like the youngest sibling in the group. “No…but it’s one am and he’s asleep…”

“So…if we were to walk in there we would just find him asleep?”

“…yes.” I said slowly, technically I wasn’t lying.

They all exchanged glances, Nick was still smirking and I didn’t like it one bit.

“Has he told you where we’re headed next?” Aaron sighed, changing the subject when the silence had stretched on a little too long.

“Nope.”

“Letchworth, two days from now. We have another day ‘off’ figuratively speaking.” Billy stated. “Speaking of which Aaron, we ought to get the video tapes off Zak so we can fill out the investigation report.”

“Yeah, hey Luna you can get them for us now right?” Aaron continued, the higher tone in his voice gave away that this was clearly planned ahead.

“No…well I could…but I’m not going to.” I said with a smile, edging back towards the door to the room.

“How come?” Nick asked.

“Eh…maybe I just don’t feel like being co-operative right now.” I quickly slid inside the room before any objections could be made, I listened to them muttering in the hallway before they dispersed to their own rooms. With a sigh of relief I felt my way through the darkness back to bed, stripping down to my underwear and letting Zak’s arms wrap around me again. He kissed my neck and sighed contently, leaving me wondering if he had been asleep all this time or not.


	26. Do you remember?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You should've guessed that I don't really consider chapter titles until I've finished the chapter, even then I can't come up with many good ones.

**Do you remember?**

My body ached when I woke up, not enough to be a problem but enough to cause me to wince ever so slightly when I sat up in bed. I happened to look down at myself and spotted the marks from the night before on my hips, I was fairly sure that there would be many on my neck and chest.

Zak murmured slightly and rolled over away from me, taking the bed sheets with him, I rolled my eyes and smiled to myself. He slept like a log these days, not that I minded, it meant I could grab a shower before he woke up.

Having taken count of the marks that had ‘appeared’ on me as a result of last night (eight in total although only two could be seen on my neck, three if I tied my hair up.) and spent a lot of time pondering about the prospects of a future with Zak, I quietly re-entered the room to find him still asleep.

“Zak come on.” I sighed, landing heavily on the bed next to him. “It’s time to get up.”

“Few more minutes…” he mumbled, resting his hand on his face.

I rolled my eyes again. “Fine, I’ll be back in _ten_ minutes. I’m going to drop the tapes back to Aaron.” I told him, leaning down to whisper in his ear. “I want you up when I get back.”

“Or what?” he murmured, parting his fingers slightly.

“Or else.” I whispered, lightly grazing his earlobe with my teeth. His breathing hitched slightly.

I smirked and backed away, rummaging around the laptop and piles of tapes we had watched yesterday. One short trip down the hallway later to Aaron’s room revealed that there was indeed a vlog from last night in the process of being uploaded to the internet.

“You know we’re not doing a good job of keeping the relationship a secret.” I sighed, handing over the tapes as the upload reached 50%. “I mean I have no problem with the fans knowing but I know Zak is a little paranoid.”

“Yeah…but I try to keep my vlogs as unedited as possible.” Aaron replied, piling the tapes up on the desk next to his laptop. “I mean obviously I won’t upload anything out of line.”

“We appreciate that Aaron.” I smiled. “I kinda wish we could just be open about it, not hide it from the audience…but I’m not going to force Zak to say anything if he doesn’t want to.”

He smiled back and shrugged his shoulders. “He has his reasons.”

“Yeah, he just doesn’t want anyone saying negative things about the show because of ‘us’. Or anyone taking pot-shots at me…”

“I guess, seems legit to me anyway. Is he awake yet?”

“Kinda. I told him if he wasn’t up by the time I got back he’d be in trouble…”

“Oh yeah?” He laughed and raised an eyebrow. “Continuing from last night perhaps?”

“Aaron!” I exclaimed, playfully punching him on the shoulder. “I don’t even wanna know…”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Well Billy’s still in his room, he had Gracie in with him last night by the way, we’re gonna go and grab some lunch in the next half an hour, Nick’s with his family…so there’s no reason for you guys to rush anything you _do_ get up to.”

“Sometimes I do wonder about you Aaron…” I sighed. “Mind if we join you?”

“Sure, you might wanna cover up those marks on your neck.”

I playfully punched him again before seeing myself out of the room. Zak was in the shower when I got back, I tidied the room up a little bit before I heard the door open and felt the steam vent out behind me. Before I could turn around to face him a pair of arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a moist, warm embrace.

“I’m up…like you wanted…” Zak whispered in my ear.

“I can see that…” I replied. “Although you seem to be lacking in clothes…” My hands reaching behind me and brushing against the towel around his waist.

“Is that a problem?”

“Well Aaron and Billy are going for food in the next hour, I was thinking we could join them.” I murmured. “So maybe putting on _some_ clothes wouldn’t be a bad idea…”

He chuckled and kissed one of the marks on my neck, humming against the skin as he hugged me tighter. “I guess so…what did Aaron have to say other than that?”

“This and that…I’m going to need some of my rarely used makeup though to hide your little…presents…”

“Mmm…they look so good on you though…” he said, his voice soft and sickeningly sweet.

“I’ll remind you of that when you kiss my neck and get a mouthful of foundation in a few days when we’re filming. Keeping ‘us’ a secret from the audience means I have to cover up every single little hickey you leave on show…”

“Hmm…true…I’ll just have to place them elsewhere then won’t I?”

“Or…you know…you could just not leave any?” I remarked.

“Not a chance.” He chuckled.

After managing to persuade Zak that Aaron and Billy would almost certainly not wait for us, we got ready to meet up with them in the hotel lobby. Well, I say we got ready; Zak got dressed but pulled me down onto the bed mere seconds before we were going to leave.

“…can’t keep your hands off me for more than a few minutes?” I asked, threading our fingers together as we lay facing each other.

“No…no I can’t.” he whispered. “I don’t want to let you go.”

I smiled at him, he smiled back and squeezed my hand. He glanced at my lips briefly before laughing and burying his face in the unmade bed sheets.

“What?” I asked.

“Just…I feel like a schoolboy when I’m with you, it’s weird to think there’s at least ten years between us…”

“I had noticed your slight…child-like attitude when we’re alone.” I giggled. “Not that it’s a problem.”

“Good…good.”

“However, what _is_ a problem is not meeting up with Aaron and Billy on time.”

He laughed again and nodded. “Ah, I see. So you’re saying…?”

“I’m saying that we need to get going Zak, sheesh.”

**~***~**

Lunch was a quiet affair, a little corner sub-sandwich place with a friendly waitress, Gracie sat under the table as we ate outside. Plans for the next few days were being discussed; including an investigation at Letchworth which I only found out about last night, Nick was joining us a little later on with Roni and Annabelle before we hit the road to New York state.

“So did we get anything from the Lizzie Borden house?” I asked.

“Uh…off the top of my head…caught a few EVPs…REM pod activity…” Billy sighed. “The visual stuff obviously you guys looked through.”

“Yeah, we got a few orbs and that unexplained shadow we tagged.” Zak added.

“Didn’t get a chance to go through it.” Billy shrugged with a smile. “I didn’t get the tapes back until two hours ago.”

Zak blushed slightly, coughing into his hand. Billy and Aaron exchanged triumphant glances at making Zak go quiet so quickly.

“Ah…well…when you do get a chance…” Zak murmured.

“I’ll let you know.” Billy finished. “Don’t worry dude, I’ll get it done before Letchworth.”

“Speaking of which, do we have a plan of action for that?” Aaron chipped in.

Zak shrugged, taking my hand in his. “We’ll drive there tonight…have a poke around…I think we’re getting locked down in two days.”

“It’s a maze there isn’t it? Or am I thinking of somewhere else?” I asked.

“You’re thinking of Pennhurst sweetheart.” Zak answered. “Although any location is a maze in the dark…”

“Is there a morgue?”

“…probably…why?”

“…is there any chance of me doing a solo EVP session at some point?”

He paused and took a sip of his drink. “…maybe. Any particular reason why the sudden urge?”

“When I was alone in the Lizzie Borden house I just felt a more…more…” I struggled to find the word.

“Personal connection?” Billy suggested.

“Yeah kinda…like it was just me in that room with what I believe to be Lizzie’s spirit. It felt a lot more personal than all of us being there…if you get what I’m saying.”

“Yeah… sometimes it’s terrifying though.” Aaron sighed.

They all nodded in agreement. Time was ticking on and we had to meet up with Nick sooner rather than later. Aaron paid for the food after claiming it was ‘his turn’ and we quickly got on our way to the agreed place to meet up.

**~***~**

“I’m curious…how did you and Luna actually meet?” Roni asked Zak as we relaxed in a local park. “I’ve heard little bits and pieces here and there but I want to hear it from you.”

I noticed Zak looked slightly caught off by her question, I couldn’t watch him when he answered because Annabelle had gotten over her shyness and was demanding most of my attention. I did my best to keep her amused, I had help from ‘Uncle Aaron’ as she referred to him as in a cheerful squeak.

“I…well…it’s quite a…” Zak stammered, clearing his throat before launching into the story. “Her best friend contacted us and basically asked if we could take Luna on some lockdowns for her sixteenth birthday. Our boss at the time, before Nick and I took over more of the show’s responsibilities, was all for it. She thought it would appeal to the slightly younger audience than the majority we had…so yeah. We effectively kidnapped Luna for a week which then turned into two weeks when her flight home was delayed by snow.”

“And you got ‘together’ last summer right?” Roni added, gesturing to each of us.

“Y-yeah…”

A familiar smirk settled on Roni’s face, much like Nick’s in far too many ways. “And?”

Zak gave an uneasy but relaxed smile. “Luna? Care to share? You probably remember all the girly details Roni wants.” He asked me.

“I’m offended Zak, you don’t remember our first date?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

The rest of them laughed, Annabelle giggled as Gracie scampered around the group trying to beg attention from one of us.

“I _do_ remember actually.” He replied. “Greyfriar’s cemetery, Edinburgh, the day after our Edinburgh vaults investigation. It was a full moon that night.”

“Very good…very good.” I remarked. “So why would you want me to tell her?”

The conversation died very quickly, especially as Annabelle became tired and started pestering Nick to cuddle her. He complied, letting the youngster clamber onto his lap and holding her tightly. As the day drew on further it was approaching the time when we’d have to depart for New York, I almost didn’t want to have to leave; Annabelle looked rather adorable falling asleep on Nick. However, Billy was the one to bring it to our attention eventually, spurring everyone to remember that there was still at least one more investigation to conduct before some extended downtime.

Van loaded, equipment all accounted for, the sun starting to drift towards the horizon. Saying goodbye to Roni and Annabelle wasn’t as painful to witness as I thought it would be, then again Nick knew he’d see them within two weeks at least, with Zak and I no-one ever seemed to know when we’d see each other face-to-face. After some disagreeing over who was driving and where the rest of us were sitting; we were on the way to New York, Billy at the wheel and Zak as his map-boy. I ended up in the middle seat as always, Nick and Aaron either side of me and Gracie was in the back with the equipment and luggage.

Despite not actually doing anything remotely tiring during the day, I felt exhausted. Maybe it was the impending lockdown and its history. The last time the guys were there they got some interesting stuff - mainly personal experience and EVPs – but probably the thing I wasn’t looking forward to the most was ‘the silent hill alarm’ going off seemingly at random and stirring things up.

I’ve never liked sirens, the industrial estate near my home in England had a test every month and it scared me as a kid as I thought we were getting bombed (it sounded like the WW2 air raid sirens) and I used to hide under the table with my favourite toy. I remember how my sister would tease me for it. Once it went off after an electrical fire and it single-handedly made me terrified of leaving my house for an entire week after my father started joking about chemical warfare. With all that in mind: I wasn’t looking forward to hearing a siren like that in the middle of the night in a place like Letchworth, especially if it stirred any unfriendly spirits up.

Rush hour traffic put Billy in a slightly sour mood, it didn’t put Zak in a fantastic one either, thankfully there wasn’t too much of it between us and the hotel we were staying in. The van was unloaded and we checked into our rooms, almost as soon as the door closed behind us I collapsed onto the bed with a sigh.

“Tired darling?” Zak asked, busying himself with one of the flight cases that we were keeping in our room until the investigation.

“Yeah…I don’t know why, it’s not like I’ve done anything today.” I sighed again.

“Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep after last night.” He suggested, pausing in his task and looking at me, biting his lip and raising an eyebrow.

“…possibly…” I murmured. “Usually takes a lot out of me.”

“Well you are only little.”

I threw a pillow at him for that comment, he caught it with one hand and let it slip from his hand to the floor.

“…what are you doing?” I asked after a few moments of silence.

“Checking the battery levels of the REM pods, they’ll be key for our lockdown.” He said, packing two of them away and starting on another.

“…come here…”

He looked up at me with a puzzled expression. “…what?”

“Come here Zak…” I repeated, beckoning him with my finger.

He slowly put the REM pod down and walked around to the side of the bed. “Yes my dear?” he asked, a smirk ghosting over his lips.

I sat up and took his hand, I tugged for him to sit next to me. He complied, his eyes searching mine as he squeezed my hand. “Something wrong?” he whispered.

“Yes…”

“…well?”

“How come I have eight hickeys and you have none?” I asked, brushing my cheek against his.

He chuckled quietly. “Because…you’re irresistible…”

“Hmm…well I think we need to get even.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes…”

“You want me to let you-”

I cut him off by kissing him, he tangled his fingers in my hair as I pushed him down onto the bed. Pressing against him as I moved from his lips to his neck, he sighed heavily – even letting out a soft moan when I lightly bit down.

“…o-okay we’re even…” he murmured after I spent a few more moments biting and kissing one part of his neck.

“Nu-uh…not by a long shot Zachary…” I remarked, pausing and kissing his jawline.

He shivered at me calling him Zachary, I smirked and pressed my body down onto his, caught in the moment when he let out another moan.

“…tease…”

I shook my head and smiled at him. My fingers ran down his chest; slipping underneath his shirt and tugging it up to expose his skin. He took the hint and pulled the shirt off, discarding it on the floor by the bed, settling back down with a sigh.

“…you’re lucky I love you…” he murmured as I ran my fingers gently over his chest.

“Oh yeah?” I asked.

He nodded, stroking my cheek. “I wouldn’t let anyone else get me like this…”

I took hold of his hand and kissed his fingers before setting his hand aside and regaining my control. As I brushed my lips over his chest he sighed heavily, I found a sensitive and ticklish spot which made him moan a little louder and a little needier. I took advantage of it and began gently kissing it, slowly working at it until I was biting him. He sighed, moaned and even whimpered as he got more and more flustered.

“..f-fuck…” he whined. “..fuck Luna…”

I replied by biting a little harder.

“You better not be drawing blood…”

“So what if I am?” I asked, looking up at him. “I mean…it’s not like anyone’s gonna see…”

He made a noise than was caught between a whimper and a moan as I kissed the mark I had made.

“…I may just lock you in that damn morgue for this…” he half-heartedly laughed.

“I’ll be looking forward to it if it means I get to do this to you…”

Before I could find another place for a hickey I was pinned down on the bed between his legs, a brief pause of silence between us occurred as he inspected his chest.

“…tsk…you drew blood…” he sighed. “Not a lot…but certainly enough to ensure I have this one for a while…”

I simply smirked at him.

“Maybe _you’re_ the one with a vampire fetish…” he whispered, his breath tickling my ear.

“Correct me if I’m wrong…but your newest mark is on your chest…not your neck…so how could it be a vampire fetish?”

He gave me a small smile. “…you have a good point…either way I have a mark…so I’d say we’re even.”

“I guess…” I murmured, stifling a yawn.

“Tired?”

“You asked me that already…”

He chuckled, easing off of me and kissing my forehead. “You should sleep then. I’ll be up a while longer checking the equipment and that…”

“Mmm…kay…don’t be too long.”

“As long as you promise not to bite me.” He whispered.

“I can’t make that promise.”


	27. Lightening up the darkness

**Lightening up the darkness**

The grey skies of New York didn’t bode well for us, last time they had a hurricane, this time it just looked like there was going to be a torrential downpour, the humidity was sky-high too. Nevertheless we packed up the equipment and headed off to the elusive Letchworth village in the wilderness somewhere north of the big apple. It was a quiet journey, not uncomfortable, just mutual acceptance that tonight’s lockdown would be…a slightly different affair to what I was used to. That and the last visit’s findings…

“It looks like it is going to piss down…” I remarked, holding Gracie’s leash as the cameras were readied for Zak’s walkthrough.

“Don’t jinx it. You know that Mother Nature will gladly demonstrate her power.” Nick replied, positioning his shoulder-cam ready for filming.

“Although I’ve yet to see this happen.”

“What did I just tell you?” He asked as the sky darkened further.

“Hey you two, get your butts over here!” Billy yelled as Aaron finished helping Zak adjust his microphone.

**~***~**

The walkthrough was hard-hitting and shocking. Just hearing about the hideous history of the place and how the patients were treated made my stomach twist. Gracie was restless from the moment we stepped inside the building which didn’t made me feel any better.

“So without further adieux, let’s gear up and get locked into Letchworth village.” Zak declared to Aaron’s camera.

“And we’re good.” The other man concluded, bringing his camera down off his shoulder.

“How much daylight do we have left?” Zak asked.

“I’d say…two…three hours?” Nick replied, looking upwards at the clouds. “Although that sky doesn’t look fantastic.”

“No it doesn’t…okay, let’s make it quick then and get the static cameras set up.”

Everyone snapped into autopilot as soon as Zak motioned for stuff to start happening, I kept hold of Gracie as she whimpered slightly and pawed at the ground. Zak took me to one side to give me a separate briefing on tonight’s lockdown.

“You good?” he asked.

“Yeah…it’s just a little overwhelming…”

He nodded sympathetically. “Okay, well tonight I want you to stay with Gracie at all times. I’m betting that we’ll split up at some point, maybe on purpose, maybe not. Either way this place is saturated in history that can provide unpredictable results…I don’t want you to be completely alone.”

“So you’re saying I could end up alone…in this maze…in the dark…”

He cocked his head to one side. “Yeah? I thought that’s what you meant when you said you wanted to do a solo EVP session…”

I nodded, remembering my apprehension over the silent hill alarm going off whilst I was alone. “Yes…I just…nevermind.” I said, shaking it off, _in for a penny, in for a pound_ was what my grandmother always said.

“What?”

“I said nevermind.”

“Luna…if there’s something bugging you I’d rather you tell me…”

I sighed, toying with the frayed end of the dog leash in my hand. “There is…something…I mean it’s nothing but-”

“Sweetheart it’s okay…just tell me.”

“The alarm, it just reminds me of the warning siren near my home that would go off in the event of a chemical plant exploding. When I was younger I just associated it with war with my limited knowledge of the air raid sirens, they test it every month without fail, it sounds a lot like the alarm said to sound here…I just don’t want to be alone if and when it goes off.”

He gave me a weak smile and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “It’s okay, if it worries you that much you can stay with Billy or Aaron…”

“What about you?” I asked. “We hardly ever seem to pair off now.”

His smile faltered. “I take a pretty…direct approach – you know that – and sometimes it backfires…I don’t want you in the crossfire.”

“…okay.” I nodded. “I guess I’ll stick with one of the others then.”

“I’d personally prefer that to be honest. Maybe you can convince them to let you do a solo session in the morgue but make sure to stick close by in case something happens.”

“Maybe. What needs setting up then?” I asked, trying to get my thoughts in order to investigate.

“Static cameras, we need to do an EMF sweep and a base temperature too.”

“Who’s ‘we’?”

“…well I suppose we could do it. Nick and Aaron are running cameras and cables around, Billy’s checking they’re all online.”

Gracie tugged slightly on the leash, signalling that she was bored. With nothing else to discuss we hurried along to sweep the entire location for spikes in EMF and temperature before dusk fell. The sky continued to darken with storm clouds, the stagnant heat made walking around an overgrown and dilapidated building a lot more effort than usual.

“Temp?” Zak asked as we stood in one of the hallways.

“Sahara desert.” I sighed as I slumped against the wall.

“Funny.” He murmured, making a note of the EMF level.

“About 60 feels like 150.”

“At least you’re learning the temperature conversion.” He remarked, walking into one of the patient rooms. “Celsius sh-melsius.”

“Shut it.” I muttered, following him into the room with Gracie in tow. “Blame my education for that one.”

“There’s a lot of stuff I could say to that but I’m going to be the _mature_ one here and not say it.”

“Yeah right.”

We made our way through the building, it seemed relatively simple to navigate in the daylight, then again any place was easy to navigate in the daylight. After a while we were walking though the more overgrown part; plants clung to the crumbling walls like leeches, peeling paint and plaster littered the rooms, occasionally a gurney or wheelchair would be in the doorways we passed which would send an uneasy feeling over me.

Eventually we were approaching the end of our sweep, we had heard a few rumbles of thunder in the past half hour which Gracie growled in response to, the last room we had to clear was the morgue.

“So you’ll be in here tonight.” Zak declared, setting the EMF reader down on one of the slabs of the freezer.

“Yep…”

“Nervous?”

“…a little. Last time I was lying on a metal slab I had the fright of my life…”

“Poveglia is a black hole and you know that.” His voice was softer, more empathetic.

“Yeah…still doesn’t bat away the experience…that and the alarm possibly going off…”

He wrapped an arm around me and hugged me briefly. “I know, I know. But you’ll have someone nearby, you’ll be fine.”

**~***~**

The thunder had been accompanied by lightning and rain. The power lines had come down a few minutes down the road and the winds were picking up, I was slightly concerned about whether the skeleton of Letchworth would even survive the night. Gracie was restless as expected, Zak seemed to be on edge too as another rumble echoed overhead.

“Okay, everyone has a radio right?” he asked in the glow of our flashlights, glancing up through the rain at the near-pitch black sky.

“Yeah.” We all replied.

“Let’s try to keep together for longer than an hour this time…”

“Last time was slightly different.” Nick remarked.

“With that said, let’s get inside and start poking around.”

As if being in an abandoned health institute at night wasn’t bad enough for my nerves; being in there during a raging thunder storm really takes the cake. I had asked Billy if he could stay with me during most of the night, leaving Aaron to be bait should Zak and Nick desire it, he was ‘more than happy to’. I think he was happy that he wasn’t going to be alone in the maze.

The rain was coming through various points in the degraded roof, not enough to flood the place but enough to create an eerie feeling. Mother Nature really was fighting to engulf this horrendous place.

“More fuel to her plants dude.” Aaron murmured to Zak as we walked down on of the long hallways.

“Yeah, she’s certainly not wasting time is she?”

We arrived at our make-shift base, if you could call the-room-we-were-keeping-the-equipment-cases-in ‘base’. There weren’t any streaming laptops so we were running purely on tapes inside the cameras; something I wasn’t sure was a good idea in a maze like this, as usual I wasn’t going to question the decision as I didn’t feel it was my place to say.

“Gear up then.” Zak ordered, tossing a digital recorder to me, I managed to catch it in one hand and gain a look of approval from him. Billy passed me a camera and pocketed one of the PX devices as well as an EMF detector.

Soon enough we found ourselves back in the hallway, this time in total darkness (with the exception of the LCD screens) with the rain still pouring in from the floor above through the leaking roof.

“So here we are; Letchworth village, the village of secrets…” Zak narrated as we adjusted our face masks. I wasn’t used to having to wear one but the sheer degradedness of the location meant it was necessary. “There’s a thunder storm overhead right now, it’s been stirring for most of the day now but it started raining just as we were setting up.”

“Imagine the insane lightening that’s probably happening out there bro.” Aaron exclaimed.

“All that energy fuelling the building too.” Nick added.

“Yes, so anyway let’s get stuck in; there are a lot of things that we need to address from last time.” Zak concluded, gesturing for everyone to calm down. Almost as soon as we fell silent Gracie tugged on the leash so harshly that I nearly ended up falling over, as I got my bearings a low drawn-out moan echoed off the walls of the hallway.

“…what…was…that?” I muttered.

“That was…something?” Billy replied, uncertainty in his voice.

“Sh.” Zak snapped “Who’s there?” he called.

Silence was now all that we heard. Zak strode down the hallway with digital recorder in hand, Aaron followed him with a camera whilst Nick started poking around in the rooms leading off where we stood.

Gracie seemed calm once again, she just pawed at the littered floor and whined slightly. I decided to slowly follow Zak and Aaron with Billy bringing up the rear of the party. A prolonged silence – activity wise – yielded little to go on as far as where to head next. Nevertheless Zak seemed fixated on a particular room at the end of the hallway and wasn’t looking to move on very quickly.

“Guys…I feel…I feel that something’s here…” he murmured, gesturing to the room, he slowly stepped out of my camera’s range and continued murmuring to himself with Aaron in tow. Nick murmured something in response but didn’t seem in a hurry to join Zak, so I took it upon myself to find out what he was up to.

The room used to be a patient room, the frame of what was allegedly a bed was still here. It didn’t quite make sense as I was under the impression that the patients all slept in big dormitory-type rooms; not solitary rooms. Either way Zak was intrigued by this room for some reason.

“Don’t you feel it?” he asked, looking to Aaron and I in turn.

“Feel what?” Aaron asked.

“This…electric…like static.” He mumbled, gesturing to the air around him. “Just flowing around.”

He sounded stoned but it just added to the eerie atmosphere as another rumble of thunder echoed through the building. I let Gracie slide past me into the space, she immediately became engrossed in sniffing around; growling slightly as she explored the room further.

“…not really.” I replied. “Care to elaborate?”

He shook his head and paced back and forth a little. “It’s just _here_.” He sighed heavily.

“Step out into the hallway and tell me if you can still feel it.” I said, backing out of the room and narrowly avoiding a collision with Billy. Zak slowly followed me out, within seconds of him being in the hallway he was disorientated.

“…where are we?” he asked, rubbing his forehead.

“Just down the hall from base.” Billy informed him. “You went into a room and started getting weird feelings.”

“Did I?”

Any other remarks on the situation were quickly cut off by more thunder overhead followed quickly by Gracie barking down the hallway; seemingly at nothing.

“What is it girl?” I asked, crouching down so I was eye-level with her. The hallway was empty, the IR light on my camera illuminated a few paces down from where we were but not right to the end.

“See anything?” Billy asked as Aaron and Zak exchanged opinions one what had just happened to Zak.

“Nu-uh.” I whispered, “I kinda want to let her off the leash but it’s a bloody maze here…we’d never find her if she got spooked.”

“Wanna take a stroll down there then and see what she’s worked up about?”

“Yeah, yeah I do.”

We conferred with Zak and Aaron who told us they’d look into Zak’s newest obsession, I assumed Nick was busy doing an EVP session so didn’t question him not replying. Billy and I, accompanied by Gracie, started a slow walk down past the many rooms that lay abandoned. Rain seeped in from the floor above, leaving puddles in our wake which played havoc with the camera, it also made the room damp and slippery.

Gracie had ceased barking but was visibly stressed out about something. I handed Billy the camera so I could keep a better hold on the dog leash, however this left me blind in the hallway.

“Anyone down here?” Billy asked. “You caught our dog’s attention.”

“Don’t worry, she won’t bite if she doesn’t feel threatened.” I added. “But she can probably sense you a lot better than we can.”

No response as we reached the end, our footsteps echoing around us with the unpredictable thunder joining them. I walked straight into the partially open door that separated the hallway from another room.

“Ow…” I muttered as I inspected my cut forehead in the LCD screen with Billy’s help. “That’s gonna leave a mark.”

“Better get the first aid kit, who knows what kind of shit that door’s had on it.”

I pulled out the radio from my pocket and raised one of the others, a few moments later Zak arrived with the supplies. He rolled his eyes at me in the glow of the flashlight as he wiped up the small amount of blood that had collected around the wound with an anti-bacterial wipe.

“You’ll live.” He smirked, fixing a bandaid over the wound. “What exactly did you do?”

“She walked into the door.” Billy replied for me, gesturing to a huge rusted iron door. “Made a hell of a racket.”

“Ah okay. Well don’t injure yourself further…I gotta get back to Nick and Aaron, we’re gonna head down to what we hope is gonna be the dentist room.”

“Okay, stay safe dude.” Billy remarked.

“You too.” He said, turning and jogging back up to where Aaron was waiting. “And don’t lose my dog!”

We both laughed slightly and turned the flashlights off. The room we had arrived at gave me the impression of the ‘day’ room; where there would be up to a hundred patients everyday only tended to by two or three staff members. The immediate feeling of the room was that of sadness, something about it made me suddenly feel like crying.

Gracie whined and led down on the floor abruptly, like she could feel it too, I heard Billy let out a pained sigh as he paced somewhere to my left. I couldn’t see anything other than the occasional flashes of lightening through the badly boarded up windows.

“…sadness…sorrow… call it what you will…I feel it right now.” He sighed.

“Agreed.”

“Up to an EVP session?”

“Sounds good.”

“Okay…” he got the digital recorder out and started rolling. “Billy, Luna and Gracie in what seems to be a dayroom. Note; there is a thunderstorm occurring outside.”

A few moments of silence fell, the sense of sadness was overwhelming and I was struggling to keep it from affecting my thoughts.

“Is anyone in this room with us tonight?” Billy asked, his voice a little softer. “Can you let us know somehow?”

“Were you a patient here? Or a member of staff?” I quietly asked, noting that Gracie was still led on the floor and seemed determined to not be moved.

A flash of lightning startled me, the rumble of thunder which followed seemed to be mocking me. In the silence that followed I felt the sadness slowly edging away from me and being replaced by uneasiness.

“Are you in pain right now?” I asked. “Are you suffering?”

“Do you want to hurt us?” Billy continued.

Another flash of lightning, I watched the cracks in the plywood light up; it sure was active out there. The uneasiness was growing, Gracie’s muffled growls were becoming more and more of an indication that it wasn’t just me sensing it.

“Do you feel the uneasiness or is that just me?” I asked Billy.

“A little…”

“Any ideas?”

“Only to review the tape and see if we got anything.”

We waited for a few moments in silence before stopping the recording and rewinding it to listen for any kind of responses. After concluding that we didn’t seem to have anything useful on the recorder we started with the EMF detector. The readings were much the same as when Zak and I did our sweep earlier, a small jump due to the storm surging around us and providing a slight but consistent spike. Occasionally it would spike further when lightning touched ground outside but there was nothing abnormal about any of the readings.

“Other than that feeling of uneasiness…it’s pretty quiet in here.” I remarked.

“Yeah. Do you wanna move on and see if anything grabs our attention?”

I nodded, tugging on Gracie’s leash to move towards the other door of the room, she growled and refused to be moved. I tugged again and called her, she refused again, growling viciously.

“What’s wrong?” Billy asked from beside me.

“She won’t move, she seems pissed at something.”

“Let me have the leash, you take the camera.”

Whilst getting my bearings back once I had the camera in my hands another rumble of thunder startled me, I whirled around to get a visual of the windows so I could regain my composure.

I was aware that Billy had been on my right hand side before the thunder, after turning 180 degrees to look to the windows; he was on my left. With this in mind I was a little puzzled as to why there were only four out of five windows in the LCD screen, my blood froze when the fifth came into view as I panned round. There, between me and the window, was a black mass.

A flash of lightning, touching ground barely outside the room, lit up the room and in turn the black mass. It didn’t look much like a human; there was a head, a torso, what looked to be shoulders but then the rest seemed disfigured in ways I didn’t want to imagine.

“B-Billy…” I stammered. “Billy there’s…”

The thunder drowned any response he had, I felt the uneasiness overwhelming me. I took a step backwards and straight into him, he was startled and clutched my arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“By the window.” I whispered. “Just…I don’t even fucking know.”

“Calm down…it’s okay.” He whispered back, stepping between me and the window. “Do you want to hurt us?” he asked. “Give us a sign.”

I was too on edge to think of anything sensible to add so I just let him continue.

“Do you remember Zak, Nick and Aaron? Do you want to speak to them? Do you remember Dave, the guy who got followed home?”

Gracie was silent and still, entirely statue-like. It unnerved me how she was frozen, whether with terror or apprehension…she was feeling something.

“Look we can’t help you if you don’t communicate with us. That’s why we’re here: to help you.”

The door that I had previously walked into, which probably weighed a ton, slammed shut with such force that the floor shook. I screamed out of instinct, quick as a flash Billy was next to me; hand on my shoulder.

“It’s okay, it was just the door.” He said, as if it was a daily occurrence.

“I don’t want to be in this room…” I murmured. “I want out. Now.”

“I don’t think I can open that door…we’ll have to go through the other one.”

“Any idea where it leads?”

“…nope.”

I sighed, I didn’t want to get lost in this place but I didn’t want to stay where that black mass was. Gracie reluctantly padded along behind us, her leash being the only thing keeping her with us as we slowly made our way down another hallway. A cold draft rushed through the doorways to different rooms, the familiar uneasiness was nagging in my mind as we continued our unsure exploration of Letchworth. I was paranoid that the silent-hill alarm would start blaring any moment now, I prayed that it would take a night off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2am is such a wonderful time to edit and post new chapters...ha...haha...I need sleep.


	28. Split paths

**Split paths**

**  
**

**Zak’s P.O.V**

I slid the first aid kit back into its place at base, Aaron was still chuckling about why I had to go running down the hallway at Billy’s request over the radio.

“She’s rather accident prone isn’t she?” he asked as we stepped back out into the hall.

“What, like you’re prone to being the magnet of activity?” I replied, taking the thermal camera from him.

“Touché.”

“Right, where’s Nick?”

“Uh…”

I peered through the screen, the hall was dark, rain water trickled down some of the more broken parts of the wall.

“Nick?” I called. “Nick!”

No response.

“Where the hell is he?”

“I dunno dude.” Aaron replied. “He was here before Billy and Luna went off.”

“Oh great…”

We both sighed, Nick had obviously been drawn somewhere by something, it was a little odd for him to just walk off without saying anything though. With no-one but Aaron with me it seemed there were now three separate POV’s taking place, which meant three chances of catching some evidence.

“Come on then dude, time’s ticking. We’ll radio in with him in a few minutes to make sure he’s okay. He’s obviously chasing something.” I sighed again. “Let’s see if we can find the dentist room.”

“Sounds good to me.” He replied.

**Nick’s P.O.V**

I never really grasped how big Letchworth was until I was alone again. The maze-like hallways had caused me to get lost easily and even Zak’s loud voice wasn’t audible. It didn’t help that I had this feeling that someone was breathing down my neck.

“Is anyone here with me right now?” I asked, peering through the LCD screen in an effort to figure out just where I was in this place. “Can you give me directions to the lab?”

The sound of stones and broken plaster being crushed under my feet was a little comforting, it was something familiar in a foreign place. I had found myself at a crossroads with three equally dark hallways stemming off of the one I had walked down.

They didn’t look much different from one another, I was so lost by this point that it didn’t really matter which one I continued down. Even so, I felt that if I picked the ‘wrong’ one then I’d stumble into something less-than-friendly.

“Where the hell am I?” I asked, half to the camera, half to the darkness. “Where does this go?”

After a few moments of looking down each of the hallways in turn, I chose the slightly creepier of the three. It took a while for me to find a room different from the many patient rooms I was walking by, the smell emanating from around me made me want to vomit, even with the respirator mask filtering the air.

The walls were lined with broken and degraded shelves, glass had been shattered and lay all over the floor. I wasn’t entirely convinced that the liquid on the floor was just rain water. Paper was strewn around, making little sense other than giving the room an extra creep factor.

“So I’m guessing this is the lab, or at least part of it.” I murmured. “Anyone here?”

The feeling that someone was breathing down my neck hadn’t disappeared in the slightest.

“Come on, I know you’re here…I can feel you.”

A lingering presence was building, not just the simple breathing-down-my-neck presence, the something-really-bad-is-about-to-happen presence was growing.

“Did your brain end up in this room when you died?”

“ _Help…me…_ ”

My heart-skipped a beat. I scanned the room with the camera quickly, ascertaining that there was certainly no-one with me.

“Hello?” I asked, “Someone here?”

“ _Please…help me._ ”

“Who’s there?”

A high pitch scream rang through the hallway, my first thought was Luna but when it continued it became apparent that this wasn’t a human screaming, not from this plain anyway. When it finally stopped I stood in silence, waiting for something else to occur, when nothing else did I let out a small sigh.

“Was that you?” I asked, peering out into the hallway. “Are you in pain right now?”

A chill ran through my body, almost like a door had opened on a howling blizzard, I turned around and scanned the lab with my camera. There was nothing here which would cause a draught to come through, I was puzzled to say the least and with the lack of intelligent responses I was set to remain puzzled for a while yet.

**Luna’s P.O.V**

Billy and I had been wandering the hallways for what seemed like an eternity. Gracie sniffed and pawed at the ground occasionally but there wasn’t any indication of activity which was a relief after what we experienced earlier.

“So any idea where we are?” I asked as we climbed a half-broken staircase.

“Nope.”

“The morgue is up here? Or downstairs?” I was letting Gracie pull us around the upper floor; into little patient rooms which all yielded very little in EMF readings and personal feelings.

“I honestly haven’t a clue. Didn’t you walk through the entire building with Zak?”

He had me there. “Yeah…I…I don’t remember.”

“Well this bodes well doesn’t it? If we can’t find the morgue then I’m not exactly gonna be able to just _leave_ you there am I?” he made a serious point but the tone he said it in made me laugh.

“Sorry, you just sounded so incredulous that it was amusing.” I apologised, wearily following Gracie into a larger room that instantly felt different to the hallways and rooms were had been wandering through.

We both paused in the centre of the room, tables and chairs lay around us discarded and broken. My heart was slamming into my chest which was never a good sign.

“Is anyone here with us?” Billy asked. “Can you come talk to us?”

I swallowed, this room was similar to the one downstairs where I just had the crap scared out of me and I didn’t like it. Gracie seemed calm and unaffected, then again she didn’t know the history of this place and she probably wasn’t aware of where we were supposedly heading.

Silence. “Billy can we just find the morgue already?” I asked, noting the slight irritation in my own voice.

“….uh sure…if you know the way.”

I sighed, at least I wasn’t alone here. No instead both Billy and I were lost in Letchworth village…nothing major.

“Fine. We’ll go this way.” I muttered, turning the flashlight on briefly and gesturing to a door on the other side of the room. “I mean eventually we’ll find another staircase right?”

“I guess.”

With another sigh I swapped Gracie’s leash for the camera, happier to be leading us out of the room than staying there. However my comfort in my actions vanished when I came to terms with the fact that I had absolutely no idea where I was heading or what I was going to come across.

After a few hesitant seconds of staring into the hallway I swallowed and led Billy and Gracie through the darkness. I didn’t really like the fact we were passing so many rooms that were boarded up. It begged the question: what was behind the wooden planks that we weren’t supposed to see?

I could feel my skin crawling, my hand was shaking as I held the camera in front of me. The staircase I found didn’t look stable in the slightest but there wasn’t anywhere else to go other than back along the corridor to the creepy room that I didn’t like.

“Doesn’t look safe does it?” I asked as Billy shone his flashlight over the rotting wood.

“…if we’re careful where we step it should be okay.”

I cautiously tested the top step, it creaked and groaned in protest but felt secure…kind of. The next one seemed more stable, this is one of the ‘emergencies’ Zak refers to when talking about the use of flashlights; there was no way I was going to rely on nightvision to get me down this staircase.

“This the point in the horror film where I fall through the step and end up in the basement…” I remarked, reaching the landing half way down the steps.

“Don’t start comparing our investigations to horror films again.” Billy groaned. “You might get some unwanted attention.”

The stairs let out a louder groan when Billy stared his descent, Gracie whined slightly but reluctantly followed him down. When we finally got to the bottom of the stairs we turned the flashlights off and waited, waited for any kind of prompt as to which way the morgue was.

“So…left or right?” I asked, looking into the darkness.

“Left.” Billy answered. “Just for the hell of it.”

I laughed and complied, we walked for a few minutes when we actually found the morgue. We were both relieved at first, my relief vanished when I realised that I was about to be led on one of the old rusted slabs of the freezer.

After inspecting the tracks that the slabs wheeled out on, two were rusted in place and one was badly broken, Billy gave me a boost up and handed me the digital recorder and the PX device. I led down on the cold metal and sighed heavily as he pushed it into the freezer unit.

Darkness, the closeness of the walls, my own breathing being heard, my heart was slamming into my chest as the harsh reality of my situation sunk in.

“You okay?” Billy asked.

“Yep.” I replied.

“There aren’t any doors on these so you won’t be locked in like Nick was.”

“Y-Yeah…that’s a comforting thought.” I stammered.

“I’ll be across the hall, yell if you need me.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll be back in half an hour.”

His footsteps faded, I swallowed. When I suggested this to Zak in the first place I wasn’t totally aware just how claustrophobic it would be, it begged the question; how the heck did Nick survive being _locked_ inside one for an hour?

I put that out of my mind, running my hands down the inside of the compartment and feeling the old freezer pipes, they were covered in rust and were rough under my fingers. Thankfully they didn’t feel as if they were on, I mean why would they be? The freezer hadn’t worked in years.

A brief thought of typical horror movie clichés ran through my mind and I laughed at myself before remembering that I was in fact led in a body freezer of a mental hospital. All laughter died within me, along with my false confidence.

“Okay…” I sighed, finding the PX device and turning it on. Without a camera to back up anything I saw I only had the digital recorder to capture anything that was with me. That did very little to comfort me.

“Is there anyone in here tonight?” I asked as I turned on the digital recorder. “Do you feel like talking to me?”

Already I felt slightly claustrophobic in the tiny compartment, sure it was big enough for a full grown adult to be in but that didn’t stop the walls feel like they were caving in around me. The eerie silence wasn’t helping, although I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to hear anything else.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. I just want you to talk to me.”

The silence continued, I double checked that the PX device was actually on because usually I get a never-ending stream of responses. With a further few minutes of silence I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

“ **DIE** ” a monotone voice said, echoing slightly within the freezer.

“What?” I immediately asked. “Was that a statement or what?”

There was no response, the air was stagnant and humid. Thunder rumbled overhead and made me feel even more isolated then I already was, if that was even possible given my situation.

“Who was that?” I asked, my voice cracking.

A faint tap came from the wall next to my head, I flinched away and immediately shone my flashlight around the compartment, even though that last thing I needed was to see a face staring back at me.

“Knock on the side of this freezer.” I commanded. “Knock three times if you’re here.”

It started getting cold. I swore under my breath as I felt the pipes, they felt colder than earlier.

“Fucking typical…” I murmured, this seemed far too predictable to be happening. “Did you turn the freezer on?” I asked, still getting no audible response, even the PX device hadn’t said anything.

Unsure of how much time I had left in this thing, I tried to relax, sure the freezer was getting colder but there was no way it would _actually_ be on...I hoped. Billy would be back in a while and I’d be released, he was only across the hallway with Gracie and there was no way I’d be ‘accidentally’ locked in.

I sighed, placing the digital recorder beside me on the slab and the PX device on the other side of me and then folding my arms underneath my head. My plan was to simply be quiet for a few moments and then decide whether to start getting personal or not depending on how I felt.

~***~

**Zak’s P.O.V**

“Dude…I’ll give you fifty bucks if you sit in that chair.” I said to Aaron as we stared at the medieval contraption that was apparently a dentist chair.

“Fifty bucks for that?” he scoffed. “Sure.”

“Ah but you have to let me strap you down in it.” I hastily added, not wanting to lose fifty dollars to him that easily.

“What so you can leave me here? Nu-uh dude.”

“Coward.” I remarked jokingly.

He sighed. “No Zak, I ain’t letting you strap me into _that_ just for you to leave me here for the rest of the night.”

“We’d get some good evidence.”

“And you can find yourself a new wingman.”

I scoffed and took the EMF reader out of my pocket and turned it on. Immediately it started spiking and alarming.

“Holy shit Aaron, it’s at a 1.4 already and I haven’t even moved.” I exclaimed. “Get over here and document this.”

Once he had gotten the reading documented on the camera I moved to walk around the chair, the readings climbed like crazy as I paced the room, the highest being a 2.7.

“Dude…this room is charged…” I murmured.

“Would the thunderstorm be partly to blame?” he replied.

“I guess…partly…but it could honestly be fuelling activity…not that we’ve experienced much.”

We hadn’t had much luck tonight in the way of hearing or seeing things. Who knew what Billy and Luna were experiencing, she was probably in the morgue right now actually, Nick was MIA as far as I was concerned but I wasn’t worried. I radioed him though to make sure he was okay, when I couldn’t get a signal though a slight twang of panic ran through me.

“What time is it Aaron?” I asked.

“About half one, why?”

“I can’t get hold of Nick.”

“Ah…”

We were silent for a few moments, debating what to do; stay here and hope Nick’s not in trouble or go off on a crazy search for him. After a while we decided that we would slowly walk the dilapidated building in search for him but try to gather evidence along the way.

“Zak?” Aaron asked as we started down another staircase.

“Yeah?”

“What happens if the alarm goes off whilst we’re all still separated?” I mean we won’t be able to hear the radios and-”

“Shit.”

“Huh?”

“I just realised…Luna said she was terrified of the alarm going off.”

“She’s with Billy though right?”

“I think they went off to find the morgue, she was going to do a solo session in there like Nick usually does. If she’s in the freezer when it goes off…who knows how she’ll react and that’s if nothing messes her around. I mean if something decides to start toying with her whilst she’s panicking…” I rambled, getting more and more worried as I thought more about her situation.

“Woah clam down dude…” Aaron told me. “Calm down, she’s not alone completely…Billy wouldn’t have gone far so if she _did_ start panicking then he’d be there for her.”

“…Y-Yeah..yeah you’re right.”

“Sheesh you panic so easily when it’s something to do with her…” he remarked. “It’s adorable but a little over the top sometimes.”

I nodded sheepishly in the dim light of the LCD screen.

“So how about we get back to finding Nick?”

The tables really had turned, I had forgotten how easily Aaron can take charge of a situation. I nodded again and turned off the corridor to a set of stairs down to the basement.


	29. Never again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if this chapter is disjointed, it's difficult to write this when my college friends are watching me type it all out.  
> ^ Apparently I was writing GA fanfic whilst in a Catholic college. The more you know.

**Never again**

**Luna’s P.O.V**

I had actually gotten quite comfortable in the freezer, although I don’t think I’ll be volunteering to lie in one again. It had been quiet so far, the coldness has seemed to disappear, or I had just gotten used to it, there hadn’t been any knocks or taps either.

“Is there anyone here at all?” I asked. “Cause I’m about to be let out of here and no-one else is going to be around to listen to you for a while.”

I was beginning to think that the PX device had died as it had been so quiet for a while now. I had mixed feelings though when it did react. “ **FEAR** ”

“No I’m not scared.” I replied. “Should I be?”

Nothing. There seemed to be a reoccurring pattern emerging; minutes would go by with no voices or anything and then out of nowhere there would be a single word or sentence followed by another ten minutes of silence. I was beginning to want to do a ‘Nick’ and tell them to use my energy but that would be a bad idea on so many levels.

“There must be _someone_ here…this is a morgue after all.” I remarked, cautiously pushing the limits of my resolve.

There was one thing I didn’t want to occur and with my luck there was only going to be that one thing that responded to my remark about this being a morgue.

It was quiet at first and I didn’t realise what it was until it was echoing throughout the building; the eerie sounds of the siren resonating off the walls of the freezer. My first thought was to slam my hands against the top of the compartment I was in, my second was to try and get out. I grabbed the recorder and PX device and desperately tried to pull myself out of the freezer, my lack of upper body strength made this impossible.

“Billy!” I shouted, hoping he would hear above the siren. The tracks for the slab I was led on were stubborn and required a lot of force to move the slab along, force that I couldn’t operate from inside the freezer.

I could feel the subtle fear in me as all of my memories associated with the siren came back, the fear of a nuclear war wiping out my country, the fear of being killed in seconds and the last thing I hear is the siren wailing across the city. My efforts to get out became more frantic as the fear rose with every moment that the siren continued.

“ _Luna?_ ” A voice called, it wasn’t Billy, in fact it wasn’t any of the guys.

“Hello?” I called back.

“ _Luna it’s me_.”

“Who’s ‘me’?” I snapped, not in the mood to play stupid guessing games.

“ _It’s Jay you moron._ ”

Questions immediately rose in my head; how the hell was Jay here? Why was he here? How did he find me? The siren blared around me and didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

“Jay? Wha-why are you…how…” I mumbled, scrambling to roll onto my stomach so I could crawl out of the freezer.

“ _Calm down Luna, it’s okay._ ” He said, his voice soft in my ear despite the siren. “ _It’s okay._ ”

“How is me being stuck in a freezer okay? Get me out of here Jay.”

“ _I can’t. I don’t have…I’m not strong enough…_ ”

I hit my head against the metal wall and cussed loudly. “Well go and get Billy then.”

“ _…he’s already on his way here._ ”

As soon as he had said that I heard Billy calling for me above the racket. I called back and surely enough his flashlight beam pieced the darkness seconds later. Gracie’s muzzle brushed against my hand that was draped over the edge of the compartment’s opening, I reached out and scratched her ears as Billy grabbed the handle of the slab.

I hadn’t realised how stuffy it had gotten in there, the air in the room was fresh compared to that of the freezer, it was also a hell of a lot warmer. Billy took the digital recorder and the PX device from me and then helped me down.

“You okay?” he asked, the siren relentlessly blaring through the building still.

“I guess…I mean…” I replied, a little shaken up still, I felt a hand wrap around my wrist, cold and static to the touch; Jay.

“Come on, I got word from Zak that he’s lost Nick somewhere.”

The siren abruptly stopped. Silence fell once more, even the thunder had ceased. I heard my own rapid breathing as we stood in the morgue. My heart was racing still and my ears were ringing with the siren echoing in my head.

“Sure you’re okay?” Billy asked as we walked along the hallway towards the staircase. “You seem pretty shaken up.”

“I…I’m just…” I murmured, clinging to Gracie’s leash, Jay was still holding my wrist which just made the entire situation more real.

“It’s okay. We’ll find the others soon, you’re not hurt are you?”

“No…just…I just want Zak.”

**~***~**

We took a while to find the others, it was eerily quiet around us. The PX device was still on but there were no words being spat out at us, the EMF reader was silent too. Billy walked beside me, the flashlight turned on so that we could see where we were going.

“Did you hear anything in the freezer?” he asked after a while.

“…not really…not until the siren went off…”

He grunted, turning the corner and spotting another flashlight beam across one of the rooms. “Yo it’s Billy!” he called.

“Hey dude.” Aaron yelled back, approaching us with Zak in tow. “Seen Nick? We’ve been looking for him.”

“Nah not yet.”

“You okay Luna?” Zak asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“…I…I need to talk to you.” I murmured.

He nodded silently and took the flashlight from Aaron, he led me down the corridor after I gave Gracie’s leash to Billy. We walked for a few moments with only our footsteps and the others talking behind us breaking the silence.

“So what’s up?” he asked, stopping just short of a turn in the corridor.

“I…um…” I uttered, unsure of where to start. He took my hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

“I heard the siren go off, were you in the freezer when it happened?” he asked softly.

“Y-Yeah, it freaked me out. I just felt so scared…but..”

“But?”

“Jay…he…he’s back.”

A moment of silence fell as what I said sunk in. “He is?”

“Yeah…he’s here right now.”

Zak pulled me into a hug and held me tightly, I could feel his heart racing as he buried his face in my shoulder. I wasn’t sure why he was being so quiet but I didn’t really care, we hardly ever showed our fondness of each other during a lockdown so whilst this was puzzling, it was also comforting given the circumstances.

“Jay?” Zak murmured “Can you hear me?”

“ _Yes._ ” The faint voice replied from beside me.

“Good to hear you buddy.”

“ _Yeah…I can’t stay long…I don’t have…much energy left._ ”

I felt Zak’s hold on me loosen slightly but not completely, “It’s okay, thank-you Jay.”

“ _I’ll be around…I promise._ ”

“You better be, you have some explaining to do.” I remarked.

He laughed and then his presence faded, leaving Zak and I alone in the hallway. I could tell he wanted to ask me many questions about what happened in the morgue and how Jay reappeared but he was unsure about whether I was actually okay like I claimed.

“I’m okay.” I said, breaking the silence. “Just a little bit on edge.”

“Good, we’ve lost Nick somewhere so we should probably try to find him.” He murmured, still holding on to me.

“Zak…” I whispered when he didn’t let go of me.

“Hmm?”

“We’re in an abandoned hospital, now is not the time to be clinging to me like there’s no tomorrow.”

“Technically it’s an institution not a hospital.”

“Don’t change the subject.” I remarked, easing his hold on me. “Seriously, we ought to find Nick.”

He let go and sighed heavily. “Yeah…come on then.” He took my hand again and led me back to where the others were waiting, they had decided to comb the ground floor for Nick as that’s where he was last seen. Not a word was spoken about the siren going off, none of them asked me if I experienced anything in the morgue, the focus now was on finding Nick before something else did.

**~***~**

**Nick’s P.O.V**

I was beginning to regret walking off by myself. The radio had cut out and I had no idea where I was. There hadn’t been any voices or noises since the scream and I seemed to be heading deeper and deeper into the bowels of the building.

“Is there anyone down here?” I called, my voice carrying down the empty hallway.

The silence was getting annoying, I was hungry for just any kind of activity now, I somewhat wished I had volunteered to stay with Luna whilst she was in the morgue; she seems to attract activity almost as much as Aaron used to.

“Hello?” I called.

As I paused to refresh the camera’s batteries a deafening siren started wailing, my instant reaction was to try and radio the others with no success. With any chance of capturing EVPs dwindling thanks to the sheer volume of the siren I focused on capturing visual evidence.

“I have no idea where I am…” I told the camera over the siren. “I have no idea where the others are either.”

I passed several rooms that were of little or no interest, I was set on finding the lab before I wimped out and properly started looking for the others however there was this unsettling feeling washing over me as the siren continued.

It felt like an eternity before the siren fell silent making the building feel ten times eerier now. I swallowed as I rounded another corner and found a lot of old furniture piled up against the wall making it impossible to simply walk through.

“Shit…” I whispered, looking at the pile of desks and bed frames. “Can’t get through…”

There was a door next to me so I walked into the room which seemed to be an office of sorts; files were spread around in no particular order, filing cabinets were in various states of disarray with one even tipped over. As I was being curious and reading through one of the patient reports the room felt like it was getting colder. I looked around and found there was nothing creating a draught so I shrugged it off slightly, making a mental note of it as I went back to reading about a psychological evaluation of a man with schizophrenia.

“Huh…” I murmured, finding that the report was only half finished, part of me wanted to spend the rest of the lockdown looking for the other files for this patient, the rest of me remembered that I was meant to be looking for the lab. I let the report fall to the ground and gathered my thoughts for continuing on my search for the lab.

As I stared at the pile of furniture again through the camera the unsettling feeling began to rise again. With the report still fresh in my mind I decided now seemed a good a time as any to address it.

“You’ve been following me haven’t you?” I asked, leaning against a desk and watching the darkness carefully. “Speak to me, tell me who you are.”

The feeling was stronger now, as if I had triggered it by addressing it. I kept checking behind me as the sensation of being touched on my back repeatedly occurred.

“Were you a patient here?” I continued. “Did you have a mental illness?”

As the silence stretched onwards I felt paranoia slowly gripping me, something wasn’t quite right about this. I stood up and did a sweep of the area, I caught sight of something moving down the hallway blocked off by furniture.

“Woah, who’s there?” I called. “Hey!”

With no response I hurriedly clambered over the blockage, tripping and landing heavily on my side in the process, I followed the direction of movement down to a partially flooded room. It looked somewhat like the lab but I couldn’t be too sure, I couldn’t see anything living or otherwise that had been moving at the speed I had seen a few moments before.

“Is someone in here?” I asked.

 A door slammed further down the hallway, I poked my head out of the room and looked into the darkness. At first I saw nothing but when I poked the camera out it immediately focused on a dark mass which seemed to be at least six feet tall.

“Who’s there?” I asked, stepping out to look through the camera properly. “Who are you?”

My camera chose this moment to start malfunctioning, the picture jumped and pixelated like crazy, I kept my eyes focused on the darkness though, somewhat convinced that I could actually see the mass moving towards me.

“Tell me who you are.” I demanded, clenching my free hand into a fist.

“ _…prick…_ ”

Goosebumps broke out on my arms and neck, an overwhelming sense of dread washed over me as I stood my ground. I began to feel sick to my stomach. The camera had stabilised long enough for me to see that the mass had gotten closer, which in turn gave me the chills.

“You’re that seven foot man who followed Dave right?” I asked. “The one who messed him up?”

I caught the sound of an eerie laugh, it made my entire body freeze in terror. I swallowed again and took a few steps forward. My head was starting to hurt, I felt on edge already and this was just adding to the problem.

“Say something.”

Silence, my skin was crawling as I took another step forward. A sudden chill rushed through me, the breath was sucked out of me and I had to slump against the wall to stop myself collapsing. A few moments passed and the uncomfortable feeling I had been experiencing seemed to have lifted, I was now dizzy and disorientated but able to stand up properly again and get my bearings back.

“…that was rough…” I sighed, turning the camera to face myself. “I-I don’t know what that was really…I…”

A door slamming back up the hallway from me cut my narration off. I froze where I stood and stared at the dark void, no indication of the others made the uneasiness worse.

“I just wanna get out of here to be honest…this place is just endless and silent…it really makes you wonder how much of this place’s operational time was filled with screaming.”

I had no idea what time it was or where I had ended up but I knew that I wanted to get out as soon as possible. The radio was still out to my dismay and my camera was running low on battery power, so I could end up experiencing some of the wildest activity soon but not be able to document it.

With that in mind I hastily walked back the way I had walked, towards the slammed door, desperately hoping that the others weren’t too far away.

**~***~**

**Luna’s P.O.V**

It was becoming apparent that no-one knew where anything was in Letchworth village. We were lost basically. You would’ve thought it would be fairly difficult to get lost in a place which seemed to have a simple layout like this place, well we managed to do it. What made it worse was the fact that Nick was wondering around alone being a prime target for attack.

“Are you _sure_ that the lab is on the ground floor?” I asked. “I mean it could be on the roof for all we know.”

“I think even we would know if the lab was on the roof.” Billy remarked. “I’m pretty sure from looking back at the last time we were here that it’s at ground level.”

“Well what floor are we on right now?”

“Second.” Zak replied before Billy could. “This was the psych ward I think.”

“They had a psych ward?” I asked, suddenly intrigued.

“Well, it’s where they kept most of the mentally disabled patients.” He sighed. “Basically a psych ward.”

Gracie had been oddly quiet all night, it made me uneasy in such an apparently active place.  Our main objective right now was to find Nick, he had been by himself for almost three hours by this point – or at least that’s what Zak claimed – and even for him that wasn’t healthy. Billy and Aaron were baffled over why the radios were still refusing to work, many different theories were being thrown about but we all knew it was most likely due to something sucking the energy out of them

“Staircase.” Zak stated, illuminating the sign with the flashlight.

“So I assume after we’ve found Nick the lockdown’s over?” I asked him as the other two continued to troubleshoot the radio problem.

“Unless he’s experiencing something when we find him; yes.”

We walked down the stairs to the first floor, I was as good as lost by this point, I had no idea where we were and I didn’t like the way I subconsciously kept looking behind me. To try and distract myself from the fact that we were wondering around blind I clutched Gracie’s leash and focused on her actions; how she sniffed every doorway we walked by, the light fast paced pants which slightly echoed against the crumbling walls and the slight eagerness to keep moving regardless of the leash being pulled tight behind her.

After being unsuccessful with finding him on the first floor – much like Billy said we wouldn’t multiple times – we descended again down another staircase, although all these floors and rooms looked almost identical in the glow of the flashlights so it wasn’t really making a difference in my mind.

“So we’re on the ground floor…” Zak stated, casting the flashlight’s beam around the hallway at the bottom of the staircase.

“Well done captain obvious.” I sighed, not really in the mood for his blindly obvious statements.

“Sh.” He snapped. A moment of silence passed between all of us. “Did you hear that?”

“Nope.” Aaron replied. “What did you hear dude?”

“Nick!” Zak called, his voice echoing down the hallway. “Nick can you hear me?”

No reply, Billy and Aaron exchange looks of uncertainty, I kept Gracie close to me as we followed Zak’s lead into the slightly more flooded part of the building. The thunderstorm seemed to have subsided and now it was just raining continuously, I couldn’t decide whether this was a good thing or not.

“Nick’s gotta be deeper in the building dude.” Aaron murmured. “He’s been gone for a while.”

“Check the radio again.” Zak demanded.

I clicked through the frequencies on my radio, all of them were dead, not even static was coming through. I shook my head at Zak as I pocketed the radio. Something was sucking the energy right out of the radios and disrupting the feed, I really didn’t want to find out what it was. With a disgruntled sigh Zak strode down the hallway, shining his flashlight into each room he passed, we followed him, Billy and Aaron repeatedly calling for Nick. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little but scared right now.

“What time is it?” Billy asked as the endless maze continued ahead of us.

“Quarter to three I think.” Aaron answered. “I dunno I’m just guessing.”

“Luna? Any idea?”

I shook my head. I had no clue what time it was and as my anxiety was building, thanks to being stuck in a freezer when the alarm went off, I kept my worries inside my head though as I didn’t want to gain any interest from any unsavoury spirits. Jay’s presence would’ve been appreciated in that moment when I felt so lost and almost numb.

“Hey?” Zak’s soft voice pulled me out from my thoughts, I wondered how long I had been wondering silently for him to have walked back to us and realised I wasn’t totally ‘there’.

“Yeah?” I murmured.

He brought his hand up to my face and stared at me with concerned eyes. “Something on your mind?”

“Maybe.” I replied. “I’m scared for Nick.”

“He’ll be okay, we’re probably just being super paranoid but chances are he’s fine.” I leaned towards him, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly. “We’re all gonna be fine, trust me.”

“I do trust you.” I whispered, breathing in the familiar scent of Zak through the filter of the stupid face mask.

“Good, come on then, let’s find Nick and get the hell out of here.”

**~***~**

**Nick’s P.O.V**

I was still lost. The slight twang of fear was beginning to nip at my conscience, I wasn’t prone to letting on I was scared like Aaron frequently did, instead I tried to focus on _what_ was making me feel afraid and then addressing that first. However as I walked the slightly flooded bowels of the asylum I couldn’t ignore the little voice that was telling me to start running around desperately to find a way out. My camera was on the brink of dying on me, the digital recorder still had a bit to go thankfully as did my flashlight. This did little to silence the voice panicking in my head.

“Can someone show me the way out?” I asked, slightly paranoid that the dark mass I had seen earlier was going to come back. “I’m a little lost.”

The eerie silence that had fallen since the thunderstorm ceased was unrelenting. I swallowed and wearily looked behind me; not admitting that I was slightly anxious of something behind me but just simply clarifying my surroundings.

“Hello?” I called, spying another pile of furniture partially blocking the hallway. “Anyone there?”

My side still hurt slightly from when I tripped over earlier, making me wearier of climbing onto old bed frames and desk. It still meant I had to either climb over it all or walk back into the darkness I had come from, neither of which I wanted to do. After a brief glance back down the hallway I sighed and stepped up onto a desk, it wasn’t terribly stable so I quickly stepped onto what I thought was a sturdy bed frame. The frame slipped beneath my weight and sent me to the floor with a thud, pain shot up my right arm as I hit the moist concrete on an angle.

“Fuck.” I hissed, cradling my arm and rolling onto my back. “Of all the times to trip over…”

I didn’t want to move my arm in-case I had done some serious damage to it, at the same time I didn’t want to just lie there on the ground in the almost-complete darkness. For the heck of it I pulled out the radio, only to receive static feedback. I was about to throw it down the hallway when I thought of Billy’s dim view of things when I would have to explain where my radio went. That and I was hopeful that it would start working again at some point.

“Can anyone hear me?” I shouted. “I need some help.”

I felt the hairs on my neck stand on end, for what reason; I didn’t know. Either way it made me feel paranoid, and that leading to me feeling really uneasy. After a few moments I managed to ease myself to sit against the wall, my arm still throbbing from the pain of falling onto it, I sighed and suddenly thought to check the camera wasn’t broken.

Luckily it wasn’t, I was thankful for that at least, it meant I didn’t have to work out how to apologise to the others for breaking it. Sure they’d understand but they wouldn’t be exactly jumping for joy either. I still had to decide whether I was going to attempt to move or wait and hope that the others could find me before dawn. It was one of those situations where I cursed myself for wondering off alone and without telling anyone where I was going, the amount of times Zak lectured Luna on doing it and here I am alone in Letchworth village with no way of contacting the others…I was probably going to get a lecture too when this was all over.


	30. Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (25/7/2015) I was going through a hard time when the next few chapters were written so things might've gotten a bit darker and sloppier - sorry about that!

**Guilt**

**Zak’s P.O.V**

As if Letchworth wasn’t bad enough; I had lost Nick somewhere in the depths of the building and now Luna was being distant…which is never a good thing. The _only_ good thing that’s come out of this lockdown so far (excluding potential evidence) was the news that Jay is back, or was back…

I had terminated the lockdown; the only thing we had to do was find Nick as soon as possible and get the heck out of here. Even that was appearing to be a difficult task; with no map and the radios not working for whatever reason we had to literally comb the entire building from top to bottom looking for Nick, especially with his history of wondering into the darkest hallways and rooms.

Billy and Aaron were being as helpful as they could, calling repeatedly for Nick, double checking every room we passed, generally concerned for Nick’s wellbeing. Luna on the other hand seemed to be in some kind of suspended state of thought. She wasn’t really concentrating on where we were heading or what Gracie was doing – sniffing the floor like a bloodhound – she was just following our footsteps and occasionally responding to simple questions like whether the radios were working or not.

I was worried about her. I think that something had attached itself to her during her panicking in the morgue and now with us looking for Nick – Luna no doubt feeling guilty about the entire ordeal – this thing was now affecting her and was likely to follow her home.

With that last thought sending an uneasy feeling through me I took her hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze but receiving little in return. It was this alone which was the last straw. I called Billy and Aaron over and told them to continue looking for Nick, they gave me puzzled looks but didn’t say anything, I then got Luna to hand over Gracie’s leash without much explanation needed.

I waved the others off as they disappeared round a corner, a split second later Luna tugged on my arm.

“What are we doing?” she asked, her voice hitching slightly.

“You’re in no fit state to be wondering this building.” I told her, keeping my voice soft. “I’m getting you out of here.”

“But what about Nick?”

“They’ll find him, I’m certain of it.” I said, taking my face mask off. “Luna you’re anything but ‘with it’ right now.”

She followed my lead and took her mask off, I could see the little red lines where it had been rubbing against her skin. I stroked her cheek gently, she covered my hand with hers and sighed.

“So we’re getting out of here, okay?” I asked, watching her carefully as she seemed unsteady on her feet.

“Oh-kay.” She whispered. “Zak…I’m…so tired.”

 “I know sweetheart, do you want me to carry you?” I said without thinking of how difficult opening doors will be if I’m carrying her.

“Yeah…”

“Will you be okay on my back?” I asked, thinking that the only logical way to get her out safely would be on my back.

She nodded, I crouched down and let her drape herself over me, her arms gently locking around me as she breathed down my neck. “Ready when you are.” She whispered.

I carefully grasped the underside of her thighs and stood up, it always surprised me how easily I could lift her, once I made sure she was comfortable I gave her the flashlight in some kind of hope that she’d actually stay awake and be useful.

“It’s okay…I’ll get you out of here.” I murmured to her. She tightened her grip on me slightly in response. Sure I felt a little guilty about leaving Billy and Aaron to get Nick but my concern for Luna outweighed my best friend who was experienced in being affected by a building. I hoped that Nick would understand why it wasn’t going to be me finding him.

**~***~**

It didn’t take long to get out, I forced the front door open and walked quickly over to the van. Once I got Luna settled in the back of the van I was able to check what time it actually was; 4:30.

“Zak?” she murmured.

“Yeah sweetheart?” I whispered, stroking her cheek.

“Can we go back to the hotel? I’m just…so....tired.” she replied, yawning and burying her face in my spare jacket.

“In a while darling, we gotta wait for the others first.” I told her. My heart felt like it was going to split in two; I badly wanted to get her out of here but I couldn’t just leave the others here, I was getting increasingly worried about Nick’s wellbeing too.

I decided to start packing the van up, two of the static cameras weren’t too far into the building so I checked that Luna was okay before heading back inside to retrieve them. Once they were packed away I just gazed up at the dark sky, the sun wasn’t going to take long to rise once dawn came. The radio was refusing to work still and I was beginning to get more and more frustrated with it, we really ought to invest in some new technology.

“Zak?” a soft voice called. I poked my head inside the van to find Luna’s outstretched arms. “Zak…hold me.”

I smiled and looked over my shoulder at the building before sliding onto the seat next to her. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled herself closer to me, resting her head on my chest with a sigh. I held her close to me, pressing my lips to her forehead and telling her that it’ll all be okay.

She fell asleep on me, hands clenched in my shirt and her fragile body curled up against my side. I was torn again between staying with her and going back in to try and find Nick. My mind was somewhat put to rest when I heard Aaron calling for me.

“Zak we found him!”

“In here dude, I called back. A few moments later he was at the van peering inside at Luna asleep on me, a small smile appeared but was quickly gone as worry quickly set on his face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nick’s arm is in a bad way, it’s bleeding and swollen, he tripped on something and was sat in the middle of a hallway when Gracie found him.”

“Shit…where is he now?”

“Billy’s getting him in out, he sent me along to tell you.” He replied. “I think we ought to get him to a hospital dude.”

My mind was racing, we only had one van and calling an ambulance out seemed a bit over the top for something that sounded fairly minor in comparison to other injuries. I badly wanted to get Luna to the hotel but my best friend was no doubt in pain. I hated making these kind of decisions. Before I had a chance to say anything I heard Gracie’s barks as she ran out of the building shortly followed by Billy and Nick. I could see what Aaron meant by bleeding and swollen, even from a few feet away I could tell he had a nasty looking gash that had stained his entire arm red with blood.

“Holy shit Nick…” I exclaimed, quickly easing Luna’s sleeping form off of me, she thankfully didn’t seem to notice and remained asleep. Nick hissed in pain as I took hold of his arm and took a closer look.

“Careful dude!” he snapped, wincing as I picked away a piece of glass that was stuck to him.

“Right, hospital. _Now_.” I stated. “Billy please tell me it won’t take too long to collect the other static cameras.”

“No, we actually picked one of them up on the way back.” He replied, showing me the bag that the camera was sat in. “Just the one in the day room on the first floor remains.”

“I’ll get it.” Aaron said, heading back into the building.

I looked at Nick’s arm again, it wasn’t going to fix itself over night if it didn’t get seen to. “Tell me you’ve had a tetanus jab…”

“Yeah I have dude.”

“Roni’s gonna kill me for letting you get injured.” I groaned, rubbing my eyes.

“Nah she won’t, she’ll kill you if you don’t get me to a hospital.” He chuckled, even when his arm looks like it’s gone through a really bad attempt at an amputation he’s got that bizarre sense of humour.

“True…”

“How’s Luna? Did she survive the morgue?”

“In a way…the siren scared the crap out of her.” I decided to hold off telling the others about Jay being back, I felt like it was Luna’s thing to tell them not mine. Besides we had more important things to worry about like getting Nick’s arm seen to by a doctor.

Aaron returned with the last static camera just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, the caretaker for the building arrived and was very confused as to why we were already packed up and ready to go. We showed him Nick’s arm and he was more than okay with me breaking the door down to get ourselves out of there, he said it needed replacing anyway. With everything and everyone accounted for, Luna still asleep in the back of the van now with Gracie partly on her lap, I drove us to the nearest hospital to get Nick’s arm seen to. His arm had swelled up a little more but it had stopped bleeding thankfully but now we were worried it had been infected. The need to sleep was getting more and more demanding but my guilty conscience was overpowering it. Why did I let him wonder of alone? I could’ve prevented this. My hands gripped the steering wheel as a signpost for the hospital came into view.

This was all my fault.


	31. Emotional Turmoil

**Emotional Turmoil**

**Luna’s P.O.V**

I woke up in the hotel room, something wasn’t right though. For starters I wasn’t wearing the clothes I had been wearing during the lockdown, instead I was wrapped up in the bed sheets in only my underwear meaning Zak had undressed me. No biggie. He wasn’t around and I couldn’t hear the shower either which was what let on that something wasn’t right.

“Zak?” I called, no reply. I reached for my phone and found a note placed on top of it.

_Morning sweetheart. I hope you’re okay, I’m not around because Nick messed up his arm last night and we had to take him to hospital and I’ve gone to check on him. Aaron’s in his room if you need something. I’m sorry I’m not there to take care of you, I know you were out of it last night but I promise I’ll make it up to you. I love you. – Zak x_

My thoughts were jumbled, I vaguely remembered Nick being missing for most of the lockdown and the siren scaring the crap out of me amongst other things. I didn’t remember much after Jay leaving again so I had no idea how Nick had gotten injured.

“Jay?” I murmured, staring at the ceiling. A small cold breeze rushed through the room, I felt someone sit on the bed next to me and tap my shoulder.

“ _Hey._ ”

“…it’s been a while…”

“ _I know…I’m sorry._ ”

I felt emotional all of a sudden, I hadn’t realised how much I had missed his simple reassuring presence. “It’s okay, where have you been?”

“ _Lost, just kind wondering…Preston Castle hasn’t changed much._ ” He chuckled slightly. “ _The bishop just kinda severed my connection to you so I had to track you down again…which is why I took so long…_ ”

“So…how did you find me?”

“ _I felt you panicking in the morgue. I mean in all of the time I spent with you I remembered how your um…aura changes when you’re scared._ ”

I smiled slightly. “And so you just appeared huh?”

“ _You could say that…_ ”

I rubbed my eyes and buried my face in Zak’s pillow, it smelt of him and his hair gel which made me feel safe and warm.

“ _I suppose I’m gonna have to explain this to Zak huh…_ ”

“Yep. ‘cause I ain’t.” I muttered.

“ _Where is he?_ ”

“Hospital, Nick apparently messed up his arm last night.” I pointed to the note on the bed.

“ _Oh…okay…_ ”

“I’m going back to sleep…I don’t have the motivation to get up.”

“ _Well looks like I’m back on nightmare duty_.”

“Yeah…I have a bone to pick with you about that actually…but it can wait.”

I sighed heavily and drew the sheets around me protectively, last night’s exhaustion was still a heavy blanket over my thoughts. As I closed my eyes and felt Jay’s comforting presence near me soothing my muddled thoughts so I could sleep some more.

**~***~**

“Luna…Luna sweetheart…” Zak’s far away voice called, I was having some of the best sleep I’ve had since the Poveglia island lockdown and I almost didn’t want to wake up. Zak was beginning to shake my shoulder gently and it seemed waking up was going to be unavoidable.

“Zak…sleepy…” I murmured, rolling away from his grasp.

“Come on…it’s nearly five…” he sighed, the usual humour in his voice wasn’t there so I sat up and looked at him. He didn’t look okay at all; he was forcing a smile but I could see the worry in his eyes.

“…how’s Nick?” I asked, taking his hand and bringing it to my cheek.

“He’s okay…got a few stitches in his arm but he’s alive…”

I squeezed his hand. “Have you told Roni?”

“Yeah, Billy called her earlier, Nick’s being discharged in the morning so he’ll probably just sleep it all off after calling home.”

We sat there in silence for a while, I crawled into his arms and sighed as he held me tightly. This wasn’t the first time someone had been injured during a lockdown but it was one of the worst, I actually felt kind of guilty. I knew Zak felt horrible right now, he always puts himself out to get hurt for the sake of evidence and takes it personally when someone else gets targeted instead.

“How are _you_ though?” I asked after a while.

He looked at me with a defeated smile, “I-I…not good.” He murmured, his voice shaking.

“Talk to me, what’s eating at you?” I asked, knowing full well what it would be.

“I didn’t keep check on him…” he sighed. “When the radios cut out I should’ve gone to find him, he wouldn’t have gotten lost and wouldn’t have-” he stopped abruptly and swallowed back whatever he was going to say.

I eased out of his hold and coaxed him to rest his head on my chest, I gently ran my fingers through his hair as he tried to regain his composure.

“It’s okay…” I whispered. “It wasn’t your fault, it was an accident.”

“It shouldn’t of happened though.” He whimpered, looking up at me with teary eyes. “I should’ve been there, I should’ve stopped him.”

“Zak, listen to me.” I said, cupping his face and tilting his head up to face me. “It is not your fault that Nick got hurt. I’ll say that again, it is _not_ your fault that Nick got hurt.”

“But-”

“ _Not_ your fault.” I interrupted. “Zak please…please…”

He sniffed loudly and buried his face in my chest, I sighed and went back to running my fingers through his hair, this was going to be a long night.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered.

“For what?”

“Being so difficult…”

“You’re not being difficult…you’re upset which is perfectly fine.”

“You were in the morgue when the siren went off and yet I’ve hardly spoken to you about it.”

“That’s because I don’t have any long lasting damage from it, sure it was scary and I freaked out at the time but I’m fine now. It helped Jay find me too so it’s not all bad.”

He lifted himself off me, a hand placed either side of my body, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine.

“You worry yourself too much.” I whispered, closing my eyes as he pressed me gently back into the bed.

“I know…it’ll be my undoing at some point…”

“I’ll be there to pick up the pieces.”

He gently pressed his shaking lips to mine, I kissed him back.

“You promise?” He asked, drawing back and giving me a worried look.

“I promise.” I said, “I won’t let you suffer alone Zak.”

He sighed lightly and pressed his body against mine, burying his face in the crook of my neck, the light of the day outside was fading slowly and I was beginning to feel hungry. Zak slumped onto the bed beside me and linked our fingers together, seemed like he wasn’t interested in doing anything else.

“…I love you.” He murmured.

“I love you too.” I replied.

An hour passed, Zak decided to order room service for me but was adamant that he wasn’t hungry. Instead he watched me eat the small portion of fries with sleepy eyes, he had actually fallen asleep when I finished and I didn’t have the heart to wake him. I turned the light off and then carefully slipped the covers out from under him, thankfully he didn’t stir as I pulled the covers up over us and fitted myself into his arms. I lay there in the darkness pressed against his chest mulling over the events of last night and today, forcing the thought that I needed to return home soon out of my mind.

**~***~**

Morning broke, I found myself within Zak’s arms still, the exact time was unclear to me but I guessed it was around ten. It wasn’t long before he woke up next to me, linking our fingers together as we led in a comfortable silence.

“How are you feeling?” I asked after a while, watching him bring my fingers to his lips.

“Better…better than yesterday…” he murmured, pulling me closer to him. “You?”

“I’m good, a little hungry but I’m good.”

He kissed my forehead and buried his face in my hair. “I just don’t want to let you go…” he said, abruptly changing the subject.

“Go where Zak?”

“Home…not now…not ever…” he mumbled, his voice cracking slightly.

“Zak…I need to get home to take my exams…I don’t want to go either but we both know that I have to if I have any hope of getting good grades.” I sighed, stroking his arm as he held me. “I’ll be able to visit again…you know I will…”

He squeezed me tightly but said nothing in reply. I didn’t know what else to say so I just let him hold me, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad to know I was going home soon but somehow it just didn’t seem important at the moment.

What was important however was Zak’s phone ringing on the bedside table, he seemed unenthusiastic about answering it so I did the honours and haphazardly pressed it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey it’s Billy, just thought you’d like to know Nick’s been discharged and I’m bringing him back to the hotel.”

“Oh…okay, are you going through the footage from the lockdown then when you get back?”

“Yeah why?”

“Mind if I join you? I mean Nick will be pretty out of it so you’ll be a man down right?”

“Sure if you want to, what’s Zak doing?”

I glanced at Zak who shrugged. “Not much, I’m sure he’ll be able to chip in too.”

“’kay, we’ll be back about noon, if you join us for lunch then we’ll start as soon as we can. There’s a lot to go through as usual and I want to get it done asap.”

**~***~**

Billy was right, there was a lot to go through. I refused to analyse my own audio and video from the investigation, on the principle that I’d get too caught up to focus properly, so I got given the audio tapes from Nick’s adventure into the unchartered waters of Letchworth.

I wasn’t sure if this was better or worse. Nick was fine by all accounts, he was actually sitting in and organising the watched tapes from the unwatched ones as we finished with them. His arm was all stitched up tightly and the slight of it made me recoil slightly, I was never enthused by seeing the human body all battered about like that.

I was barely a few minutes into listening to the audio from Nick’s investigation, having taken note of two possible evps, when I tore off the headphones; a piercing scream had surprised me.

“You okay?” Nick asked, even though he could probably guess what I just found.

“Y-Yeah…I just found the scream…” I answered, sighing heavily and making a note of the time code. “Just startled me that’s all.”

I looked over to Zak who was watching the video captured on one of the static cameras and seemed oblivious to the world around him. Gracie was sat at his feet gnawing on a chew toy and occasionally pulling at the leg of his jeans. I always thought Zak looked the most attractive when he was engrossed in a task, even now I just remained staring at him, in my own way caught up in the moment.

“Earth to Luna...” Nick remarked, waving a hand in front of my face.

“Sorry, I just...yeah.” I mumbled, focusing back on the audio feed.

A period of silence, evp-wise, fell. I heard Nick wondering around the building asking questions and not getting any responses, I managed to catch what I thought was a groan of some description but little else.

I listened to Nick’s mutterings about a file he was reading, intriguing but not really linked to the lockdown, I was struggling to keep my mind totally focused but that was about to change. Nick suddenly seemed to address someone which snapped me back to the task at hand.

His demands and questions were seemingly ignored, leaving me somewhat put out as I imagined he would be when I told him this later, however as I continued to listen a chain of events was forming; Nick saw something and called out to it, he pursued it, he ‘lost’ whatever he had been chasing and called out again. It was then I felt goosebumps crawling over my arms, I hadn’t experienced anything like this whilst analysing evidence before so it was a foreign feeling for the most part.

A door slammed in the distance, I jumped slightly from the heightened anticipation I was feeling, Nick rightfully challenged it, calling out for a response. The audio then malfunctioned, a horrific buzzing sound came out of my headphones, I kept them on this time; anxious to hear if there was a voice within the static.

 _“Tell me who you are.”_ Nick’s distorted voice buzzed through.

I held my breath, waiting.

 _“Prick._ ” A low growl came through. I smashed the pause button and scribbled down the time code before ripping off the headphones.

Zak was staring at me, puzzled, I had become oblivious to everything around me as he had done earlier. I looked down at my hands, one of which was still gripping the pen, I was shaking.

“Luna?” he asked quietly so to not disturb the others. I noticed that Nick had become engrossed in watching some of the static camera footage and hadn’t noticed my reaction to the audio. I looked back up at Zak, his eyes softening as he slowly got up and made his way over to me.

“I...I just...” I stuttered as the laptop was taken from me, he signalled for me to be quiet as he then took my hand and led me out into the hallway.

Silence fell between us, I was still shaking slightly, which was odd to me as I’ve experienced worse than just hearing a growl, something weird was going on.

“What did you hear?” Zak asked, stroking my cheek slightly.

I stumbled over my words as I told him what I had heard, he kept quiet until I had finished. He seemed passive about this entire situation.

“You’ve experienced worse though...why did it freak you out?” he spoke softly, taking me by the shoulders and looking me in the eyes. “Forgive me for being ignorant but it doesn’t seem that much.”

“I-I don’t know, it just freaked me out.” I replied quickly, Jay was nearby and I could feel his curiosity building.

Zak sighed slightly, “I’m gonna listen to it okay?” he asked.

I nodded. “Okay.”

After he had finished listening to the audio he looped the growl, much to my dislike, and called the other’s attention to it. They spent a few moments listening to it before finally deciding that it was indeed saying ‘prick’, Nick shuddered slightly as he gave us a brief recollection of the moment he heard it with his own ears. I tried to listen without actually imagining being in Letchworth like he was, it was easier said than done.

**~***~**

Finally all the evidence was gathered, there was one piece of footage that was causing a stir amongst all of us; it was captured on Nick’s handheld camera right after the growl was captured on audio, Billy had initially thought his laptop was malfunctioning when the footage corrupted. However after switching laptops it was concluded that actually it wasn’t completely broken, there was actually something there.

“Go forward a few frames.” Zak demanded, peering over Aaron’s shoulder as he clicked through the frames. “Stop.”

The picture on the screen flickered slightly, the camera seemed to have focused on something in the middle of the hallway. You could make out a black mass that somewhat looked like a figure, it sent a chill down my spine.

“What the...” Billy murmured. “It...it’s a figure definitely.”

“Go forward a few more frames.” Zak said again.

Aaron complied, the picture slowly changed, becoming pixelated with each frame passing, the mass however became clearer; more defined, until the image was too distorted to recognise.

“Let it play through.” Nick ordered, “It stabilises in a few moments.”

We did as he instructed, letting the haywire pictures flicker across the screen until they settled again. The mass seemed a lot larger now and you could definitely tell that it was a figure above average height for a man. Aaron paused the footage and leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

“Wow.” Was all that anyone could say. It wasn’t the clearest of images but you could definitely tell there was a figure standing just metres away from where the camera was.

“Do you think....that was the thing that followed Dave home?” Billy asked. “It kind of fits the description.”

Zak nodded. “I reckon it had been following Nick for some time whilst he was alone.”

I looked to Nick. “Do you feel like something’s attached to you?” I asked him quietly.

“No...I feel groggy thanks to the drugs the hospital gave me but I don’t feel any weirder.” He murmured in reply.

We watched the sequence again and again, picking out a little more of the figure’s details each time, but eventually the analysis session was concluded in the early afternoon. Nick packed up his stuff and declared that Roni was coming to pick him up. I didn’t blame him, this had been a long investigation for him, he deserved a break.

“I know you’re gonna be leaving within the next week though so I guess this’ll be goodbye until you can visit again.” He said to me as we waited in the lobby of the hotel for Roni.

“Yeah, I need to get back and study, I’d rather stay obviously but...eh...” I sighed.

“I understand, well you know how to reach me if you need anything.” He smiled.

“Thanks, I’ll bear that in mind when I’m up late cramming for an exam.”

As I watched Nick get into his car, waving goodbye to him and Roni, I was reminded by our conversation that I would indeed have to return to England within the next week if I had any chance of passing my exams. I was reluctant to think about not being with Zak as it made me upset, at the same time I needed to get back home to sort a few things out. I had received a fair few messages from my parents demanding that I return home ‘immediately’ and that I wasn’t allowed to just hand over the family pet to a friend and leave without telling them.

Either way I didn’t particularly want to go home.

 

 

 


	32. The Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've just had one of the most stressful periods of my life...too many deadlines for work and just general stress...  
> So I'm sorry it's nearly taken me a month to update!

**The Future**

I couldn’t be more relieved to be back in Zak’s home, sure the hotels were nice enough but nothing quite felt as nice as being able to fall asleep in his arms barely an hour after getting back from New York.

The feeling of waking up in the arms of someone who loves you is unlike any other, it only occurred to me in the first few seconds of being awake just how much I cherish the moments I have with Zak.

He hugged me closer to him as he sighed in his sleep. I had to fly home in three days and I was trying to think of any possible way to prolong my stay, however there was very little chance of any of my ideas actually working.

“ _Cheer up, it won’t be forever._ ” Jay murmured. “ _It’s not like you’re never going to see him again._ ”

“I know…” I whispered. “But it doesn’t make me feel any better about leaving.”

“ _We had this discussion last time we were in this situation…_ ” he sighed. “ _It’ll be okay Luna._ ”

“I know…I’m sorry…”

“ _Don’t apologise, it’s understandable for you to be upset._ ”

I shrugged against Zak’s hold, trying to preserve this moment forever in my mind. The sunlight was slowly heating the room as it shone through the curtains, I was getting hungry but I really didn’t want to leave this safe haven.

**~***~**

Zak woke up a while later and after spending a rather long time just lying in each other’s company he decided we needed food. I watched him make us omelettes as Gracie scampered around his feet, we both laughed as she skidded on the slippery floor and fell over her own paws. We ate more or less in silence, Gracie’s whines and the scraping of cutlery being the only sounds to resonate around the room. I knew that Zak already feared the day I leave, that he was being torn apart slowly as the hours passed, this long distance was certainly taking its toll on us.

As I put our plates in the sink to be washed up I felt his hands on my waist, lingering and gentle. I turned around into his arms and pressed my face into his shirt, breathing in his scent.

“I love you.” He murmured, holding me close and kissing the top of my head.

“I love you too.”

He took my hands and led me into the lounge, we sat on the couch together simply holding each other’s hands. A few moments passed before he took my face gently in his hands and brought my lips to his. He kissed me softly and slowly for what seemed like an eternity, I gently caught his bottom lip in my teeth and slid my tongue against his. His hands glided to my waist and he pulled me close to him, I wrapped my arms around him and broke my lips away from his, feeling him so close to me felt so right in so many ways. He started biting my neck, I pressed against him as he flicked his tongue over the sensitive skin. My fingers ran down his back, digging into his shirt slightly as he bit down lightly again.

“Zak…” I breathed, as he coaxed me to lie down, not wanting to be apart from him for even a second.

“Yeah sweetheart?” he asked, a soft smile on his face.

“…n-nothing…” I murmured quickly, pulling him down onto me. He caught himself before he actually fell onto me, a muscular arm flexing either side of me as he gazed at me.

“…if you say so…” he remarked, kissing my forehead.

I smiled and captured his lips again, pressing my body up to his. Feeling him press back and running his hands down my side was the beginning of both of us getting lost in the moment.

**~***~**

The day came when I’d have to fly home. Zak woke up before me and made us both breakfast, the smell of omelettes cooking stirred me from sleeping, we ate with the day’s event hanging over us. I showered and packed up my stuff, we then simply sat on the couch in the lounge again.

“I don’t want to leave…” I murmured, reading the latest message from my parents, demanding that I return home immediately.

“I know you don’t, I don’t want you to either but your parents sound like they’re really mad at you.” Zak replied, pulling me onto his lap and holding me close to him.

“I just want them to leave me alone…leave me here…I don’t even care about my education anymore.”

“Luna, that’s not a healthy attitude to have at all.” He sternly said. “You need your education sweetheart.”

“But…”

“No buts, you’ll need something to fall back on if we hit rough times.”

Silence fell between us, I didn’t want our last few hours together to be filled with disagreements but there was little else to talk about. I buried my face in his neck and sighed.

“I’m sorry…I’m just being selfish.”

“No it’s okay. It’s reasonable to want this…I really don’t want you to leave but it’s for the best sweetheart and we both know that.”

Zak looked at his phone, the screen proclaiming that time had flown by. The moment had come for us to leave for the airport, Billy and Aaron agreed to meet us there to see me off.

**~***~**

Airports were almost a second home to me as Zak’s house was. The familiar scene of the four of us sitting in a coffee bar of the airport was comforting at least in the final hour of my stay in their company.

“So any idea when the episodes will air?” I asked Billy as we drank coffee in the time before my flight.

“Uh…September probably.” He replied. “Maybe October. Why?”

“Just wondering when you’d be filming the next few and whether I could join you guys.”

Billy mulled it over for a few moments before sighing. “I guess…around Christmas maybe? Just after new years?”

I nodded, reaching of Zak’s hand and giving it a light squeeze.

“So how do you feel about spending Christmas with us?” Aaron asked cheerily after a few moments.

We all laughed, a glance at one of the many clocks in the busy airport was telling me that time was passing quickly, that I didn’t have long at all with my adoptive family. I let the laughter die slightly in me as I leaned into Zak’s hold.

I really didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to spend nearly six months feeling empty, alone, torn…especially with my parents who were scornful at the best of times about this ordeal. I wasn’t sure if they were fully aware that I had been on TV, that Zak and I were a couple. The pressure of school was mounting, the idea of college beckoning and then university, I had no idea what I wanted to ‘do’ with my life other than spend it with Zak and the rest of my adoptive family…

A sighed escaped my lips.

“Well, we better be off, I have to pick some stuff up in a bit from a friend.” Aaron declared, stretching as he stood up.

I nodded and stood up too. He gave me a bear-hug, complete with picking me up with a hearty laugh.

“Take care Aaron.” I said.

“You too lil’sis.” He laughed.

“Lil’sis?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“What?”

“Why did you call me that now of all times?”

He shrugged and smiled. “I guess you’re just like a sister to me.”

I giggled slightly. He shrugged again and bid the others goodbye before striding towards the exit.

I didn’t have a chance to sit down and get comfortable again in Zak’s arms, my time was up, I had to go and get my flight.

We walked out of the coffee bar and into the seating area just before the security point, I turned to Billy and smiled as he hugged me. Zak waited patiently for my gaze to turn to him, as soon as our eyes locked he pulled me into a kiss; his lips were shaking slightly but he held me tightly like I would float away forever if he let me go.

“Zak…she’s gotta go...” I heard Billy mutter as he placed a hand on Zak’s shoulder.

Zak’s hold on me loosened, I slipped away, squeezing his hands tightly before letting go. “I love you Zak.”

“I love you too Luna.”

**~***~**

As predicted, as soon as I got home I was yelled at. My parents were furious at me for what I had done. They said that grounding me wasn’t enough, instead I was just ignored; I made my own meals from whatever food was in the house, I paid my own way to and from school, no words passed between us.

Jay’s presence was comforting during the month of revising and taking exams, he kept me calm as long as possible, the nightmares had stopped, things were looking up as August passed by, I skyped with the guys as often as our schedules allowed.

Results day arrived. The news was not good.

“So how did you do sweetheart?” Zak asked, my laptop screen showed his hopeful expression.

“…um…well I passed…but my college refused to re-enrol me…” I replied. “My parents are still refusing to talk to me."

“Oh…well…that sucks…” he sighed, rubbing his forehead. “So what are you gonna do?”

I shrugged. “I guess I’ll have to find a job or something…”

“…well…I’d say you could come and live here…but the immigration system sucks and you’re classed as a minor over here.”

I sighed and buried my face in my hands, tears threatening to start flowing as the reality of my situation hit again.

“Hey come on, it’s not as bad as it seems…” Zak murmured. “You’re eighteen in January…you can come and visit without your parents being able to do anything about it…you just need to find a job for the time between now and then.”

“…this just sucks…I don’t want to be here anymore…I want to be with you.”

“I know, and it kills me everyday that we’re apart, especially when this happens. I love you Luna and I can wait forever and a day for you. I promise we’ll get you through this even if I have to fly over there to get you myself.”

I nodded and smiled. We talked for a while longer about the new season airing and the expected comments before he told me I needed sleep and signed off. As I lay in my bed with Ringo at the end of my bed, I wished more than anything in the world to be with Zak and away from the stress of life.

Sadly I knew that I’d have to deal the cards that life had given me before that day arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh so this is actually the last 'chapter' of this part...there is still an epilogue to come.  
> I had a revise of plot lines and the result is the final part of the series will start in January/February time.
> 
> I have no idea how long it'll be but I do have the ending all figured out already! (actually had the ending written out about 4 months ago)


	33. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Despite the odds not being in my favour, I managed to get a job in a small café. The pay was mediocre at best but at least it got me out the house. I was saving up every last penny to pay for another visit out to see Zak, it got me thinking into how much a visa would cost and how I’d go about getting one with no qualifications whatsoever.

“ _There’s always the obvious option…_ ” Jay remarked one day as I was getting ready for a shift at work.

“Yes thank-you Jay.” I muttered into the glasses cupboard. “I am fully aware of _that_ option.”

“ _So why don’t you talk to Zak about it?_ ”

“And say what? ‘hey Zak so I was thinking about getting married so I can live in America.’ That’s called cheating the system Jay…”

“ _Well no…not like that…sheesh._ ”

I sighed and got on with my shift, I had mulled over ‘the obvious option’ several times over the months leading up to my eighteenth birthday. It was an attractive enough prospect; getting married to Zak and leaving my life in England behind for good, finally being happy and surrounded by the people who love me. I wanted to get married for the right reasons, not just because it would be convenient for my living situation.

The holiday season and my birthday both came and went with little rest bite from my family ordeal, I was beginning to think that there was something else going on between my parents other than the anti-social tendencies towards me but I had little to no evidence.

It was coming to the end of May when they dropped the bombshell on me; they were getting a divorce. Their reasoning behind not telling me until then was so that I was legally an adult and could find my own place instead of any custody battles ensuing, regardless of this it didn’t really explain why they stopped talking to me for nearly a year despite living in the same house.

“Wow…so…who are you gonna live with?” Aaron asked, he was the only one of the guys online when I found out so I had started a skype call with him in order to vent my frustration.

“I dunno Aaron…I don’t want to pick between them. I mean I _am_ eighteen now so I think I should get my own place but then…constant trips to America would make paying rent for an apartment pointless…” I sighed, ruffling Ringo’s fur as he lay beside me on the bed. “Plus I have to think about Ringo in all of this.”

Aaron nodded. “Yeah…you’re in a bit of a tough one there. I wish I could help you out.”

I rubbed my eyes. “Yeah…when’s Zak gonna get back from wherever the fuck he’s gone?”

He shrugged. “Dunno, him and Billy are locked away editing the season finale so who knows…I’ll text him and see if he can spare a minute.”

I sighed again and watched Aaron pull out his phone. The recent season had been taking its toll on Zak and the others in all sorts of ways; one of the locations had loads of noise pollution so most of the audio was contaminated one way or another, two of the cameras had broken halfway through a lockdown with no explanation, the thermal camera was malfunctioning seemingly at random and the editing software they used to put the episodes together was crashing repeatedly. As a result the entire season air time was delayed by nearly two weeks which was causing a lot of stress all around.

“He said he’ll be on in about ten minutes, I kinda told him you were having a really bad day…is that okay?” Aaron reported, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah that’s okay, thanks Aaron.”

**~***~**

“I just don’t know what to do…” I murmured, staring at my laptop screen. Zak looked tired and stressed but he had stayed true to his word and come online to talk to me, I had told him the most recent developments in my life since we last talked and he listened in silence.

“It’s okay sweetheart…trust me…it may seem like the end of the world but it really isn’t.”

“I just don’t wanna be here anymore…I just don’t…”

He ran his hands through his messy hair, sighing loudly before picking up his phone. I was on the verge of crying and calling it a night, it was nearly midnight after all, but something in the way he was staring at his phone made me ask what he was doing.

“I’m looking at the schedule for the show’s airtimes…assuming we get the finale done by tomorrow we can be on the next flight to England on Thursday.”

“…we?”

“The guys and I. GA vacation to England sound good to you?” he gave the briefest of smiles.

“…I…uh…yeah sure…I have a job though so…unless my boss is feeling charitable about vacation time I won’t be able to spend all day with you or leave the city really…”

“That’s okay, it’s not like we’re going anywhere to film. I just want to give you a much-needed break from your situation.”

I couldn’t stop the tears falling, it was at this point that I realised how much strain the distance between us was putting on both me and him, how much I needed him now more than ever and how my life had gradually gotten emptier without him with me.

“Okay, I can’t wait.” I said, hastily wiping away the tears and giving him a smile.

He smiled back. “Well…I need to get back to editing then…”

I nodded. “Yeah…I need sleep…”

“Goodnight, I love you Luna.”

“I love you too Zak.”

I closed the laptop down within a few minutes of the call ending and settled down in bed, aching for Zak’s comforting arms to wrap around me. Instead I got Jay’s quiet presence which instantly made me feel sleepy, with Ringo happily sprawled out on my bed I wrapped the remaining covers around me and let myself fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is really a set up for the fourth (and final) part of the series - so it's actually a prologue but my stupid brain thought it would be better to do this way. (Past me made very questionable choices sometimes).


End file.
